Make Room for Daddy
by Lord Raa
Summary: Random AU elements plucked from the ether to amuse and entertain you all. Or maybe not, I just don't know anymore
1. Chapter 1

Make Room for Daddy

By Lord Raa

* * *

Disclaim-me-do: Careful, my advantageous mongoose is feeling a bit randy.

I stole parts of this idea from Innortal.

* * *

Ranma Saotome walked down the street with his travelling companion. "Are you sure about this, Pops?"

"Of course I am, boy," the rotund man insisted. "My old training partner's family has a dojo not far from here. They'll put us up."

"Good thing, too," Ranma noted. "It's starting to rain."

"Damn it, why did you have to knock me into that spring?" the now female martial artist asked. "You should have more respect for your sensei!"

Ranma, still male, just smirked. "Hey, it's not my fault you took us to a cursed training ground, 'Mom'."

"Don't you ever call me that again, boy, or I'll make you suffer!" Genma-chan growled.

"Whatever. Which way is it to this dojo?"

"Follow me," Genma, now sporting a pair of soaked breasts gestured down the street.

* * *

A knock on the door of the Tendo house alerted its inhabitants. "Kasumi, could you get that for me? I'll finish up the soup."

"Yes, Mother," the brunette nodded happily. Upon opening the door, Kasumi greeted the visitors. "Hello there, can I help you?"

"Hello," the woman bowed. "I'm here to see Reiko Tendo, is she in?"

"My mother is in the kitchen, do come in Ms.?"

"Genma Saotome, this is Ranma," the red haired woman smiled.

Kasumi bowed and directed them into the common room. "I'll be back in a minute with some tea."

"Well, who is it?" Reiko asked her eldest daughter, turning the heat off the stove.

"Genma Saotome, and some boy named Ranma," the girl answered. "They're here to see you."

"I've been expecting them, could you call your sisters for me, Kasumi-chan?"

* * *

Reiko brought the tea in with her as she prepared to greet her late husband's training partner.

"Oh, excuse me, I'm looking for Genma Saotome, he was a friend of my husband," the chestnut haired woman bowed in apology.

"I'm Genma Saotome! I can explain!" the darker haired woman insisted.

"I didn't think that you would go for a sex-change, Saotome-kun," Reiko commented dryly as she took her place. "Though I must admit that's some impressive cosmetic surgery."

"No, it's not that, here," Ranma smiled as he grabbed a cup of hot tea.

:SPLASH:

Genma, now bald and a lot less attractive, glared at his son. "Thank you, Ranma."

Reiko was frozen in place at the transformation that had taken place in front of her own eyes.

"No, thank you, Pops," Ranma replied pointing at the stunned woman. "You've managed to upset our host."

"I have not upset Reiko," the portly Saotome insisted.

"What have you done to our mother?" Nabiki demanded, her sisters standing behind her.

"I haven't done anything!" Ranma protested. "It were Pops!"

"Blame me, why don't you?" the bespectacled man snorted.

"Hey, I'm not the one who changed shape!"

"W-what's going on?" Reiko asked in a quiet voice. "What happened to that woman that was sitting there?"

"That was me," Genma explained. "Here, let me show you."

He stood up and stepped out through the sliding door into the cold rain.

Stepping back inside, however, was a young woman in her late teens with long red hair and Genma's now ill-fitting gi hanging indecently off her lithe frame.

"Watch this," she said as she picked up another cup of hot tea and poured it over her head.

The change was remarkable for those that hadn't seen it before. Thick, wavy red hair receded. Soft feminine curves turned to muscular bulk, and the martial artist gained over a head and a half in height.

"Oh my!" the Tendos chorused eerily.

"How did this happen?" Nabiki asked.

"We were in China a few weeks ago, when Pops here decided to take us to the training grounds at Jusenkyo," Ranma started the explanation with a small smile. "Unfortunately, those grounds are cursed so if you fall into a pool, you'll take the form of whatever drowned in there last. Pops fell into the Spring of Drowned Girl, where as I fell in the Spring of Drowned Boy."

"The injustice of it all," Genma bawled, "that I would be so cursed."

"Yeah, and this had nothing to do with the fact you can't read Chinese, does it?" the teenaged boy asked. He used a teasing tone that suggested that this was not the first piece of bad luck (act of stupidity) that had befallen the pair.

"Silence, boy," the man growled. "Anyway, cold water activates the curse and hot water reverses it."

Ranma shrugged. "So now you know why Pops turned up as a girl."

"I see," Reiko nodded. "Anyway, now that we're all here, I've got an announcement to make. Your father and Mr. Saotome here used to train together."

"You knew our dad?" Akane asked, intrigued as to what the man was like.

"He was a good man," Genma smiled fondly. "During our many hardships under our master, we pledged that we would unite the Schools of Anything Goes through marriage."

"Yes, these are my daughters, Kasumi, she's 19, Nabiki, she's 17 and Akane, she's 16," Mrs. Tendo gestured appropriately at the girls. "Obviously, I can't expect you to pick one right now, but I was hoping that you'd get to know them a little bit better before you made your choice, Ranma-kun."

Ranma turned to his father. "Pops, is there something that you've forgotten to tell me?"

"What about us, Mom?" Nabiki turned to her parent. "You can't expect us to marry some guy we've only just met!"

The parents began to sweat under the glares their offspring were giving them.

The Tendo girls had a quick conference, and after a moment, they came up with a viable option to postpone/evade the engagement.

"Mom, there's something that we've been meaning to tell you," Akane started.

"Yes," the oldest Tendo nodded.

"We've been thinking that it's been a while since you had companionship, so we were thinking perhaps you should be the one to get married again," Nabiki continued.

"Y-you do?" Reiko blushed.

"Yes," Kasumi nodded. "Plus, we're all trying to work something out with some boys that we know. Being engaged to Ranma, as nice a young man as he is, would ruin it for us."

"And you didn't tell me this before?"

"Well, we didn't want to jinx it," Akane admitted in a quiet voice. She hoped that her mother would believe her little white lie.

Reiko knew that her youngest was a little superstitious, so nodded softly. "I see."

Ranma shrugged. "Fair enough, Pops, it's not gonna work out, unless you want to marry Mrs. Tendo."

Genma waved his hands defensively. "No, that's not an option."

"Why not?" Nabiki asked, sensing that there was something unsavoury about this sex-changing martial artist.

"It would cast a stain upon my friendship with Soun," the part time man lied quickly.

"I understand," Reiko nodded with a look of remembrance in her hazel eyes. Her husband was a good man, if a little emotional at times, and often spoke of good times training with Genma.

"That leaves you with one last option if you want to join the schools," Nabiki hinted.

"How old are you, Ranma?"

"18," the pigtailed young man said slightly confused by the whole situation, "why? And what do you mean one last option to join the schools?"

"You get engaged to Mom," Nabiki smiled.

"Nabiki!" Kasumi and Reiko scolded in unison.

"Hey, it's not that scandalous," the short haired girl smirked. "I mean, he's an adult and can make his own decisions, and when was the last time you spent some quality time with a man?"

"That's none of your business!" the scarlet cheeked woman insisted.

"So it was when daddy was alive," Nabiki mused. "Mom, it's time for you to start dating again. You're still young, and Ranma's good looking. Plus you'll be helping us find our own happiness."

Genma mulled those points over in his mind. "Yes, and I think that it would be good for Ranma to be under the influence of someone that was a bit more mature."

Ranma stuck his tongue out at his father, inadvertently proving his point.

The widow noticed that the pink flesh stuck out nearly ten centimetres from the pigtailed young man's lips felt her lips become dry and something stir in her loins.

"So then, it's decided, Ranma and Mom will be engaged!" the Tendo daughters decided.

"What happened to it being scandalous, Kasumi?" Reiko asked, unsure as to what her little girls were planning.

"Well, we were getting concerned that you were lonely," the tallest girl admitted.

The Tendo parent sighed. Her daughters were right, though it was probably closer to sexual frustration, rather than just a lack of company. "Ok, since this is the only way to get what my dear Soun wanted, I'll do it."

"So then Ranma, what do you think of your fiancée?" Genma asked, hoping that this son would honour the agreement.

Ranma now took his first good look at Reiko Tendo. She was quite clearly where her daughters got their looks and figures from, and she seemed nice enough. Taking a gulp of his tea to steady his nerves, he nodded. "If you really want to, Tendo-san, I'll be happy to see if we can work something out."

Reiko smiled. "Thank you, Ranma-kun."

* * *

Ranma and his father sat in the Tendo's bathtub, relaxing before dinner. The pigtailed young man wasn't too happy about the fact that he'd been engaged to an older woman he'd just met and was making his displeasure known.

"Pops, I can't believe you sold me out like that!"

"It's for your own good, boy," the portly man insisted. "Reiko is a good woman and she'll take care of you when you get married."

"And you don't think it a bit weird for me to marry your best friend's widow?" Ranma asked. "I mean she's old enough to be my mom!"

"She's only 33. Besides, it's not age, it's experience," Genma sighed. "You'd know that if you were actually a man and not the whiny boy that you are!"

Ranma faced his poor excuse for a parent and gave him a look that said "I'm tired of your bullshit" before leaving the tub.

"I guess that it's all down to your training, Sensei."

* * *

Nabiki met with her sisters in her room to discuss their plan to avoid the engagement to Ranma.

"Look, I know it was unfair to force Mom, but it does give us more time to figure a way out of this," she reasoned.

"But what if Mom likes him?" Akane asked aghast. "I mean, we'll have to call him 'Daddy'. And what if he wants to do, you know, with Mom?"

"Akane, you have two sisters. Don't you think that Mom knows about sex? As far as I'm aware, we were all conceived naturally," the short haired girl sighed.

Akane just blushed.

Kasumi brought up another reason for their actions. "It's also been a while since Father died; don't you think that that Mother's lonely?"

"Yeah, but you know, wouldn't Daddy be angry?" Akane asked, obviously uncomfortable with the idea of her mother remarrying.

"Don't worry, Akane, we won't let him get too close without making sure we know what his intentions are," Nabiki reassured. "But I'm sure that Mom can look after herself."

* * *

Reiko Tendo pushed her brown, collar-length hair behind her ear as she stirred the meal she was cooking.

Her mind wandered as she mulled over what to do about her daughters' manipulation. 'I think that I'll have to teach them a lesson about who runs this house,' she thought with a devious grin.

"Dinner's ready!" the Tendo matriarch called out.

She was not surprised to hear the sound of five people jostling for position on the stairs. As always the smell of mouth-watering food was rather and had permeated the house.

"Hello, Tendo-san," Ranma smiled as he took a seat at the table.

Reiko smiled as she placed the bowls of food on the table. She waited until her daughters were seated before verbally replying. "Please, Ranma-kun, it'd make me feel much better if you were to call me Reiko. After all, you will be my husband one day."

Ranma blushed.

The three lovely daughters froze.

Genma smiled as drool escaped from his lips.

"Please, eat up, everyone," the cook smiled as she took her place. "Nabiki, Kasumi, Akane, it's rude to sit there staring with your mouths open. Now pass the rice."

Nabiki shook her head. "Yes, sorry. Here you go, Mom."

The rest of the meal was eaten in relative silence as the Saotomes filled their cavernous stomachs with a finely prepared meal.

After the table was cleared, Reiko turned to Ranma. "Ranma-kun, could we talk in private?"

"Yeah, Te- Reiko-san," the pigtailed young man corrected himself with an embarrassed smile.

Ranma found himself being led away from enquiring minds and into the pantry.

"Ranma, I have a favour to ask of you," the brown haired woman started nervously. "It's about this engagement."

Ranma nodded mutely.

"I know that it's a bit sudden and it seems a bit old fashioned. To tell you the truth, I never really cared for the idea of an arranged marriage for my daughters."

"Why not?"

Reiko scratched the back of her head. "I was in one with Soun. I was only 13 at the time, but I wanted a big, strong manly man. He came along at the right time and I got married to him soon after."

"Ok," Ranma nodded in understanding.

"But, my lovely daughters have tricked me into taking their place and in order to teach them a lesson, I want you to pretend that we're in love as joke," the widow whispered conspiratorially.

"Oh, so you don't like me?" Ranma asked, slightly hurt by the older woman's plan.

"But you'll be getting back at your father for springing this on you," Reiko replied with a wink. "How about this – I'll let you look at the Tendo martial arts school scrolls and make sure that you're well fed if you go along with this."

"Ok," the Saotome heir nodded. "But they may want proof and we could be forced to kiss and that. And we have only just met…"

"Don't worry, Ranma-kun, I'll make sure it doesn't get too far out of hand."

"That's good," the blue-eyed young man said in a relieved voice, "I'm glad I won't have to do anything like that with someone who doesn't like me."

"Hey!" the brown haired woman protested. "I never said that I don't like you. We have only just met, you know."

"But you never said you did," Ranma countered, folding his arms over his chest. "For the last 12 years, I've been treated like my feelings don't matter, and now I've had enough. I can deal with people not liking me, it happens – I've upset plenty of people on the training trip. I'm not happy about being treated like a thing."

"What do you mean?"

"Would you believe me if I said that Pops left me to deal with his bar tab several times?" the young martial artist asked with an angry tone. "That it was me that had to get a job because he spent the food money on sake?"

"I'm sorry to hear that you've had a rough childhood, Ranma-kun," Reiko said in her most sympathetic voice. "There are those that have had just as rough a time."

"I was 12 at the time," Ranma added curtly. "If I hadn't been training so hard, I'd have been carted off in some pervert's van."

"What do you mean by that?" the brown-eyed woman asked.

Ranma rubbed his eyes, his whole body language telling his host that he'd been through some tough times. "A man asked if he could spar with me. I thought it would good practise and said yes. Throughout the match, he kept trying to grab my ass and touch me."

"Where was your father?"

"He'd drunk himself into a coma with the money the man paid him."

Reiko's face darkened. "I see. Anything else I should know about?"

"Probably, but like you said, we've only just met." Ranma sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to vent at you like this. It's just that I've always been treated like a thing to be bartered for the best deal."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Ranma-kun."

"To be honest, it'd be nice to just be friends with a nice person and to take it from there. So, how about it?" the blue-eyed martial artist asked with a small, but genuine smile.

"I'd like that Ranma," Reiko smiled back. "But I reserve the right to say things that embarrass my daughters and your father"

"Since you put it that way, how can I say no?" Ranma chuckled.

* * *

Much to the three girl's consternation, the newly engaged pair walked hand-in-hand into the common room, where everyone was assembled,.

"Mom?" Nabiki asked, hoping that her plan hadn't backfired.

"Don't worry, Nabiki-chan," Reiko smiled, "Ranma-kun has promised to be very gentle with me."

"Mother!" Kasumi exclaimed in outrage. "How can you think of doing that sort of thing with Ranma-kun so soon?"

"Quite easily, Kasumi-chan. It's just that I need to make sure that Ranma-kun here knows his way around the bedroom."

Ranma blushed as his fiancée kissed him chastely on the cheek.

"Saotome-kun, you have made sure that Ranma-kun knows how to take care of a lady, haven't you?" Reiko asked dangerously, her eyes narrowed.

"Of course I did," the portly man insisted. "That woman from Osaka said that Ranma had great potential."

"You mean that woman who wanted to recruit me as a manwhore?" Ranma asked, clearly not happy with his father's actions.

"That was because your mother wants you to be manly!" Genma blurted out.

"Wants? As in present tense?" the middle Tendo daughter asked.

"I think you've got some explaining to do, Saotome-kun. I suggest you start now," the widow's voice hinted that pain was in the sex changing martial artist's immediate future.

The rotund man started to sweat nervously. "I can explain."

Ranma clenched his fists as he grinned maniacally at his father. "This better be good."

"Please, you have to believe me when I say that Ranma needed to be taken away from his mother for his training. She would have coddled him and made him weak," the balding man insisted.

"Ok," Ranma nodded. "I can understand what you're saying about comforts; I mean, that's why you said I couldn't have that stuffed toy for my sixth birthday."

"Exactly," Genma nodded, unknowingly digging his own grave.

"But this thing about 'being manly' what's that all about?" Reiko asked, closing the gap between her and the deadbeat dad. "And can't women help raise 'manly' children?"

"She's a nice enough woman but she's obsessed with manliness and she'd get in the way. In order to train Ranma, I had to promise to make him a 'man among men'. If I failed, we'd both commit seppuku."

"Ah, so if I'm not manly enough, then we'd be slitting open our stomachs?" the pigtailed youth asked as he placed a hand on his father's shoulders.

"Please, Ranma-kun, it's not right for a guest to have to deal with such chores," Reiko said with a smile. "Allow us to take care of this."

"Eh?" Ranma asked, puzzled as to why his hosts were now looming up on Genma.

He was soon enlightened when he saw his sensei being beaten unconscious by four women.

"Please forgive us for that unseemly display of violence," Kasumi apologised with a deep bow.

"We're not normally like that," Nabiki added, her head also bowed.

"It's just that sexist idiots like that upset us," Akane finished. "You don't think that women are weak, do you?"

Ranma's jaw shut with an audible click. "No, women aren't weak. Definitely not now I've just seen you beat the crap out of Pops."

"That's good to hear, Ranma-kun," Reiko smiled sweetly. "Now, it's been a long day, why don't we turn in for the night?"

"I'll prepare the spare room," Kasumi announced.

"I'll take care of Pops," Ranma smirked as he grabbed the larger man by his ankles and dragged him up the stairs.

* * *

To be continued…?

Right then, some notes are in order:

1) I chose Reiko as Mrs. Tendo's given name because hers is never given in the manga or anime. Lots of people have named her Kimiko and I wanted to differentiate this "work" from other stories out there.

2) I messed with the Saotome curses because I can.

3) Ranma is older in this fic because it amuses me to make it so.

4) It's not my fault you can taste piss.

5) This was pre-read by Chi Vayne

6) I could be convinced to write lemony side stories

7) I'm not sure what to do with the Amazons just yet

8) I have something sordid planned for when Nodoka shows up

9) I'm not sure whether or not to change the ages of the other fiancées at this time

10) I can't think of anything else at the moment, but if there is something that you feel I need to explain/clarify then you know what to do. Signed reviews are much more appreciated because I can contact you to discuss any issues you have with this story.

Until laterer comes


	2. Chapter 2

Make Room for Daddy

By Lord Raa

* * *

Disclaim-me-do: I wish I had a scapegoat for this one, but I must take responsibility for this "work" myself. I stole everything but the computer I wrote this on. 

Part 2 (yes, it seems that this was popular enough to warrant me continuing it)

* * *

Genma woke up before dawn with a throbbing headache. "How much did I have to drink last night?" 

Sitting up, he took in his surroundings. "Ah, I'm at the Tendo Dojo."

Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, he decided that it was time to start the morning practice. "Get up, boy."

"Buzz off," Ranma mumbled, turning over on his futon.

Genma frowned. "I see that sleeping indoors has already started to make you soft!"

The pigtailed young man yawned before throwing a glass of water over his father. "Not as soft as your chest, 'Mom'."

Genma-chan growled dangerously.

"Fine," Ranma yawned again. "Let's take this outside, no sense in upsetting our hosts."

The Saotomes left for the garden, stretching their muscles on their way out.

The morning practice was extremely brutal with Genma wanting to punish his disrespectful son, while Ranma wanted to beat some sense into the aquatranssexual for taking him away from his mother.

But it was the widow Tendo that put an end to the training session with a well timed broomstick, perfectly aimed at Genma-chan's head.

:CLONK:

"Ha! Suck on that, Pops," Ranma smirked at the girl that was now in the koi pond. He faced his fiancée. "Good morning, Reiko-san. How are you today?"

"I'm well, Ranma-kun, though perhaps you could keep the noise down when you practice this early in the morning?" the brown-haired woman asked with a forced sweetness.

"Sorry about that, I wanted to sleep in a bit more, but well, Pops here insisted on starting early," the pigtailed martial artist shrugged. "You hear that, Pops, you're too loud, too early."

Genma glared daggers at his insolent child until a devious thought occurred to him. 'I'll teach him a lesson over breakfast…'

* * *

A short while later and the other Tendos were slowly making their way downstairs. First was Kasumi, who was intending to help her mother with breakfast. 

"Oh, hello, Ranma-kun, I didn't expect to see you here in the kitchen so early."

"Good morning, Kasumi-san," Ranma bowed slightly. "I hope you don't mind me helping out with breakfast. I felt bad about waking people up when I was sparring with 'Mom'."

"I told you not to call me that, boy!" Genma-chan called out from the doorway.

"Oh my, Uncle Saotome, you really should have more modesty," Kasumi chided when she saw the state of Genma was in.

The gi that had been fitted for a portly martial artist was hanging off the redhead's slight frame, her feminine charms barely kept from hanging out by the adhesive properties of the wet cotton.

Genma-chan looked down at herself and adjusted her outfit. "Bah. When's breakfast going to be ready?"

"When it's ready and we're all here," Reiko answered in a patronising tone.

Genma grumbled, before leaving for the bathroom.

Moments later, a loud feminine scream sounded from upstairs.

"That's Nabiki-chan," Reiko said, concern rising for her daughter when she heard a door slam shut.

The three of them left to check on the status of the middle Tendo sister. Ranma bounded up to the top of the stairs ahead of the women and fell into a fighting stance, ready to deal with any intruder.

He didn't expect to see his currently female father standing there in front of the closed bathroom door with bruises on his face.

"Pops?"

"The bathroom is no longer occupied," the redhead replied in a monotone, a thin trail of blood escaping from her right nostril.

"Where's Nabiki?" Reiko demanded.

"I'm in my room, is the pervert gone?" the 17 year old asked through her bedroom door.

"Pervert?" Kasumi repeated, aghast that the older Saotome was somewhat unsavoury.

"Yeah, that idiot barged in on me like she owned the place."

"Pops," Ranma growled.

"Hey! It's not like that!" Genma-chan insisted.

"A likely story," the younger Saotome scoffed. "Would you have been feeling me up in the tent if it were me that fell in the spring of Drowned Girl?"

He didn't give his transgendered parent a chance to answer, instead opting to grab the redhead by the neck and dragging her to the dojo via the kitchen.

Genma was still rather surprised by the speed of her son's actions and didn't realise that she'd just turned into a he until he'd been thrown into the dojo.

"It seems that I need to teach you a lesson about respect, Boy!"

"That's rich coming from someone who was just caught peeping on a girl!" Ranma laughed incredulously as he fell into an aggressive stance.

Genma narrowed his eyes before charging the insolent youth.

The pair exchanged a flurry of furious blows, until Ranma, familiar with this sort of combat, positioned his opponent in front of the open door, snuck in a lighting knife-like jab to the older man's solar plexus and knocked him outside and into the pond.

"If you ever even think about perving on the Tendos again, I'll make you suffer!" he threatened.

Reiko gasped, catching his attention.

"I'm so very sorry, Tendo-san," Ranma apologised, his head touching the floor of the dojo. "Please just let me get our things, and we'll never bother you again."

Ranma left for the guestroom, his eyes focussed on the floor in shame.

"Wait," the brunette called.

"Of course," the pigtailed young man nodded as he turned to face his host. "You require restitution. What do you feel would be appropriate for my 'father's' actions?"

"No, I think it was an accident. Please, stay for a while," Reiko smiled, hoping to keep her late husband's dream alive a bit longer.

"I'd like that, Tendo-san," Ranma smiled softly, "but something like this might happen again. I don't want to risk him not being able to control himself with four pretty ladies in the house."

"I appreciate your concern, Ranma-kun, but surely we can work it out. Nabiki's a smart girl, she'll be able to come up with something suitable," the brown-eyed woman pleaded gently.

"Ok, but only because you insist," Ranma sighed. "If it were me in your shoes, I'd kick us out on the street."

Reiko's smile returned. "Now, how about some breakfast?"

"Ok, but I think Pops can wait until we've eaten."

* * *

After breakfast, Ranma sat with his hosts in the common room to discuss what to do with his idiot parent. 

"I still say you're being too kind," he said as he shook his head. "I wouldn't put up with his crap."

"You're rather harsh when it comes to your father, Ranma-kun," Reiko mused.

"That's because I've had to deal with him for the last 12 years. I didn't know that he had me stealing until a few years ago, I thought it was all a game where I trained my hands to be quick," Ranma said sadly.

"I see," the Tendos chorused, their narrowed eyes directed at the heavily restrained bundle in the corner.

"But it was all for the art!" the redhead protested weakly.

"I think we need to lay down some ground rules for our stay," Ranma said with a grin. "First off, Pops and I will go in the bath after everyone else. That way we won't walk in on any of you. Secondly, for the next month, he eats after we do, and then only leftovers. Unless it's food he's bought with his own money from working."

Nabiki and her mother nodded. The way that Genma had inhaled his breakfast had made them think that the Saotome's hadn't eaten in a week.

"Oh what a weak and ungrateful son I've been cursed with," Genma-chan wailed, "to think that my child would be so self-centred that he'd ignore my sacrifices over the years!"

"You mean like you've been unable to peep on girls?" the younger Saotome asked with a twitching eye.

"That was an accident!" the redhead insisted. "Besides, we were both girls, so it doesn't count."

"That's not the case," Reiko chided.

"But I can look at a girl's body any time I want. And I'm cuter to boot!"

"No way, MOM, Nabiki's way prettier than you are!" Ranma shouted.

"I told you not to call me that!" Genma-chan shouted back, a vein throbbing in her forehead.

"Y-you really think I'm pretty?" Nabiki asked. If Ranma wasn't lying to her, he'd be the first man in a while to call her that.

"Of course you are," the pigtailed young man replied on reflex. "You're all prettier."

"How can you say that, Boy!" the bundle in the corner demanded.

"Easy. It takes more than curves to make you attractive," Ranma shot back. "Attitude plays a part and yours stinks!"

"You wound me!"

"I will if I ever catch you perving on anyone ever again!" the blue-eyed young man growled. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

The Tendos looked at Ranma as he held his face in his hands, obviously distraught with the whole state of affairs.

"I'm sorry for my father's behaviour, Tendo-san, but I don't know what to do about it. I don't like hitting women, I never have, but it's always been the best way to get through his thick skull that something's a bad idea."

Genma-chan frowned when she saw the outpouring of emotion from her child. 'When did he become such a sentimental fool? I spend time as a girl, what's his excuse?'

"I'm sorry, I just need some time alone," Ranma smiled weakly. "I'll be in the dojo."

Reiko turned to the bound redhead in the corner. "Don't think that you're going anywhere any time soon, Genma-chan. I've a good mind to send you to school with my daughters as punishment."

* * *

In the dojo, Ranma was focussed on trying to clear his mind with a few kata and missed the opening of the door. 

"Ranma-kun," Reiko asked hesitantly.

"Tendo-san," he bowed politely.

"Please, I told you to call me Reiko," the brunette smiled gently.

"Sorry, Reiko-san. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Reiko sat down on the floor near where Ranma was standing. "Is there anything that you wanted to talk about? Sometimes it helps."

The pigtailed young man nodded and sat next to his fiancée. "Ok. Well, before we arrived at Jusenkyo, Pops was going on at me being more responsible, and to be honest, I was tuning him out. You've heard what crap he comes out with, so you can't blame me."

The Tendo widow nodded.

"I don't know why, but for some reason when you agreed to the engagement, it sort of felt wrong to be like I was."

"Was it because of the fact that your father and my Soun wanted the schools to be joined?" Reiko asked.

"I don't know. Maybe it's because if we get married, I'll have three daughters to look after," Ranma replied with a shrug. "Anyway, I need to think. Can I practice in here for a bit longer?"

"Ok," the brunette nodded, "I'll speak with your father in the meantime."

Moments after he was left alone, Ranma kicked up his training several notches. First he started running the length of the dojo, from one end to the other.

After ten minutes of this, he changed to focus on his upper body with one handed press-ups using his knuckles, 300 on each arm, before he moved on to the next part:– aerial kata.

As he bounced off the dojo walls, Ranma lashed out, kicking and punching at invisible foes that seemed to be a great deal taller than he was. He cast his gaze upwards and found a new challenge.

As he leapt about the Tendo training hall, he started to touch the ceiling with the palm of his hand. After a moment of this he paused to catch his breath.

"Bah, that's too easy like that," Ranma panted gently. Stripping off his red shirt, he thought about what he could to try to make his exercise regimen more challenging.

"I know, I'll keep touching the roof but I can only use single leg hops from a standstill."

It took the Saotome heir two minutes of attempts to complete his self-appointed task. After five more minutes of this, he was getting bored and thirsty.

"Oh my," a chorus of female voices called out from the doorway.

Ranma turned to face his blushing hosts and smiled politely. "Is everything ok?"

"Everything's fine, Ranma-kun," Reiko answered, catching her wits first. 'He reminds me of when Soun and I were dating…' Shaking her head to clear the pleasant reminiscences, she asked him, "Would you like a drink?"

"Thanks," the shirtless young man nodded in appreciation.

Ranma noticed Kasumi and her sisters' blushes didn't go away when he stepped closer. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you like this, I'll put my shirt on–"

"Oh no, you don't have to put yourself out on our account, Ranma-kun," Nabiki replied with a wink and a saucy grin that was marred by her red cheeks.

"Nabiki, please stop flirting with your step-father like that," Reiko teased. "You all passed up on getting engaged to Ranma, remember?"

"I fail to see your so called point, Mother," Nabiki retorted. "I can look all I want as long as I don't touch."

"I'm not sure that your boyfriend would like that, Nabiki-chan," the oldest brunette mused. "Or are the suitors of my lovely daughters made up to avoid an unwanted engagement?"

"No!" the girls protested quickly, knowing that their mother would make them suffer the consequence of lying to her.

"Well then, perhaps after Ranma-kun's had a chance to get settled in a bit more, we can meet these nice men?" Reiko hinted. "I'm curious as to what kind of taste in men you have, seeing as you're all ready to take things to the next level."

"Mother, we don't sleep around! What kind of girls do you think we are?" Kasumi asked.

"I don't know anymore," Ranma's fiancée replied, her hands on her hips. "I mean you all hid your relationships from me and now you're practically drooling over my fiancée."

"We are not drooling!" Akane insisted.

Ranma smirked at Reiko's comment of "You're not far off, though".

"I'll go take a bath," the blue-eyed martial artist smiled.

* * *

A muscular young man scratched his head in bewilderment as he looked around the part of rural Japan he was standing in. "Damn it, I know Tokyo's supposed to be around here somewhere!" 

"Err, young man, Tokyo's about 300 kilometres in that direction," an elder farmer helpfully pointed to his left.

"Thank you," the bandana clad young man smiled before walking off in the wrong direction. "Soon, I'll find her and thank her properly!"

* * *

Ranma sat in the bath, allowing the hot water to soothe his muscles. He let out a contented sigh. 

"Man, that feels good."

The pigtailed young man was only allowed a few minutes to relax before he heard a commotion outside the bathroom.

"What's that?" he asked before getting out of the tub.

Making his way to the towels, Ranma turned to see the door opening.

"Oh my," Kasumi gasped when she saw her mother's fiancé's wet, nude body.

"Kasumi-chan, is something wrong?" Reiko asked walking up to her. She took in the scene before her and frowned. "Naughty Kasumi, that's Mommy's. You need to go and find your own."

"Mother!" the younger brunette exclaimed with a heavy blush.

"I thought you knew I was in the bath, I did leave the sign out," Ranma said in a confused manner. "Wait a minute, I'm surrounded by perverts!"

* * *

To be continued… 

What you wanted something more substantial?

That would cost extra.

This was pre-read by Chi Vayne and had several sections previewed on shinji the good sharer's forum. You should stop by there if you don't already.

Until laterer comes.


	3. Chapter 3

Make Room for Daddy

By Lord Raa

* * *

Disclaim-me-do: This is the modern way! 

Part…………3

* * *

Previously on "Make Room for Daddy": 

"I thought you knew I was in the bath, I did leave the sign out," Ranma said in a confused manner. "Wait a minute, I'm surrounded by perverts!"

And now the thingy…

* * *

"We're not perverts, Ranma-kun," Reiko insisted. "It was an accident, like what happened with your father and Nabiki." 

Ranma looked at his fiancée and her daughter, who had an embarrassed look on her face. "Ok, I believe you. Now, can I get dressed, or do you want to stare at me some more?"

"I wouldn't mind st-" Kasumi started.

"Yes of course, sorry about this, Ranma-kun," the older brunette smiled as she dragged her eldest child out of the bathroom.

The pair of Tendos turned to see Nabiki looking hungrily at the naked young man, a tiny trickle of blood escaping her right nostril.

"Nabiki-chan," Reiko chided, "not you as well? You've got your own boyfriend, remember?"

"B-b-b-but he's not nearly as studly as Ranma…" the short haired girl protested weakly.

"That's not my fault, Nabiki-chan," the Tendo widow replied with a teasing smile. "Now leave my fiancé alone so he can get dressed."

* * *

Genma was feeling pleased himself. His plan to get Ranma's fiancée interested in him was working nicely. 

"Now to write to No-chan to tell her about her manly son," the portly man said to himself.

* * *

At lunchtime, Ranma sat with his intended and her family. Deciding to let his bathroom incident slide, he asked about the Tendo school of Anything Goes. 

"So who trains in the dojo?"

"I do a little," Akane replied with a smile. "I'm a black belt, 4th Dan in kempo."

"Black belt 4th Dan at 16, not bad," Ranma nodded with a minor note of respect.

"What ranking are you, Ranma-kun?" Reiko asked, her mind travelling back to when she saw the sweat drip off her fiancé's heavily muscled torso.

"To be honest, I'm not sure," the pigtailed young man replied, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "I was always moving on and never got to the ceremonies."

"But surely, you're highly ranked in the Saotome School?" Akane asked. "I mean you've been intensively training for 12 years."

"I have, but Pops won't tell me how much more training I need to take over the school." Ranma directed his attention to the bound redhead. "How much longer, Pops?"

The surly girl glared at the blue-eyed young man. "You still need to learn to respect your elders, Boy!"

"I do! I've never been anything but polite to Reiko-san."

Genma-chan's eye started to twitch.

"And," Ranma continued, "I haven't been rude to Kasumi-san, or her sisters. In fact, you're the one who's been rude, walking in Nabiki!"

"How many times do I have to tell you that was an accident?" the transgendered martial artist shouted angrily. "Like you!"

"Pardon?" Reiko asked, holding a wooden spoon in a threatening manner.

"Like Jusenkyo!" Genma-chan shouted, correcting her slip.

"That's what I thought you said," the Tendo matriarch said, putting the spoon back on the table.

Ranma, having realised that his father had planned for him to marry the heir to the school, wondered how skilled Akane was. "Akane-san, how many different fighting styles have you trained in?"

"I really only focussed on kempo, why?" the youngest Tendo asked.

"I was just thinking about our schools and its training methods. If it's ok with you, I'd like to have a quick practise this afternoon."

"I'd like that, Ranma-san," Akane smiled.

"I'd like to practise too," Kasumi and Nabiki hinted in unison.

"What level do you think you're at?" the pigtailed young man asked. "It's so I know how hard I can push you."

"You can push into me quite hard, Ranma-kun," the short haired Tendo winked.

Reiko rolled her eyes at her daughter's shameless flirting, but frowned when her fiancé missed the thinly veiled come on.

* * *

A short while later, Ranma, Akane, Nabiki and Kasumi were in the dojo. The sisters were all dressed in different coloured gi; Akane in yellow, Kasumi in blue and Nabiki had donned a white one that seemed to be a few sizes too small. 

"Ready when you are, Ranma-kun," Nabiki purred.

"Hey, I'm training with Ranma first!" Akane huffed. "Right, Ranma-san?"

"Yeah," the blue-eyed young man nodded. "Lets all get warmed up with some stretches first, though, ok?"

The Tendos followed Ranma's lead as they all moved slowly to prepare their muscles for the coming exercise.

After a few minutes of this, Ranma turned to Akane and told her to move to the centre of the dojo for their match.

"Right then, Akane-san, let's get this party started."

* * *

The heirs to the two Anything Goes schools finished their practice an hour later with Akane looking the worse for wear, sweat matting her long blue/black hair to her neck. 

"What's going on, Ranma? Why aren't you tired?" the youngest Tendo asked. "I know for a fact that you sweat."

The blue-eyed young man could only shrug in response, though the girls could tell the there was something on his mind.

Nabiki took this opportunity to get close to Ranma. "How about we start with you showing me how to throw someone stronger than me to the floor?"

Kasumi blushed when she considered the possibilities of such a skill, especially now that she had been thinking about Dr. Tofu and Ranma in ways that not suitable for pre-watershed TV.

"Ok," Ranma nodded. "First of all, you need to work on your stance, because if you're not stable, you'll get pulled over. Feet shoulder width apart."

Nabiki blushed lightly as her mother's fiancé placed his hands on her legs until they were at the appropriate distance.

"Ok," the pigtailed Saotome said, "now you need to bend your knees so you can react better to the shifting weight."

The short haired Tendo nodded and quickly grabbed Ranma's hand, hoping to throw him on to the dojo floor. She frowned when her attempt failed miserably.

"You're doing it wrong, Nabiki-san," her instructor admonished with a smile as he moved around to stand in front of her. "You need to use your body like so."

Ranma grabbed Nabiki and promptly lifted her over his shoulder and placed her on her bottom like she was a piece of lightweight garden furniture.

"Well, perhaps that wasn't the best example of that, I did flex in ways that aren't really healthy, but you get the idea," Ranma said to his audience. "Was there anything you wanted to know, Kasumi-san?"

"Why did I pass on the engagement?" she asked herself rhetorically. "Perhaps I can get Mother to change her mind…"

"Sorry, what was that, Kasumi-san?" the blue-eyed young man asked.

"Perhaps you could show me some of your skills, Ranma-kun?" she lied politely. "Have you heard of the 'French Flipper Trick'?"

Ranma's face turned scarlet. "H-how d-did you k-know about t-that?"

"So it is a real technique?" Nabiki asked, her interest loud and clear.

"What's the 'French Flipper Trick'?" a confused Akane asked.

"It's a special manoeuvre that can defeat almost any female opponent," Reiko answered from the doorway. "It was thought to be just a rumour, but if Ranma-kun here has been taught it, then we're in the presence of a very dedicated student. Where did you learn it, Ranma-kun?"

"I don't want to talk about it," the blushing man replied.

"Show me this special manoeuvre!" the youngest Tendo demanded. "I have to fight in the women's tournaments, so you should show it to me!"

"No!" Reiko shouted. "Ranma-kun's my fiancé, if anyone's going to be shown that technique, then it's going to be me!"

"What? Why!" the sweaty girl shouted. "Shouldn't I know about it in case I need to counter it?"

"Because it's a really perverted move," Ranma answered, his blush somehow intensifying.

"Not perverted, Ranma-kun, but intimate," Reiko corrected. "And it's certainly acceptable to use it on your fiancée."

The Saotome heir would have been reassured by that comment had it not been for his fiancée licking her lips in anticipation.

"Akane-chan, why don't you take a bath while I talk with my fiancé?"

The Tendo heir sniffed herself and nodded. "I'll be back down in a bit. Where's the pervert?"

"Yeah, where is Pops? I've not seen him for a while," Ranma noted.

"I'm right here, Boy," Genma-chan said as she walked into the dojo. "I was about to have a bath."

"Well, you can wait until the rest of us are done," Akane glared at the redhead.

"But I've been like this since morning," the older Saotome whined.

"You know where the kettle is, Pops, it's not rocket science."

Genma was about to reply in a violent manner when his old friend's widow turned to her.

"Did you really have Ranma learn the French Flipper Trick?"

"Yes, though I'm not sure that it was worth the effort to find a teacher. The Boy has never shown me the technique, he always came up with some excuse. I think he failed, just like the time with the Neko-ken," the transgendered Saotome sneered.

Ranma's face became stony as any good humour he had disappeared like the morning mist. "Ladies, if you don't mind, Pops and I have something to discuss…"

* * *

A short while later, Ranma carried his unconscious and currently female father up the stairs to the bathroom. The pigtailed young man was breathing heavily and favoured his left leg. 

"Oh my, Ranma-kun, are you alright?" Reiko asked as she saw her fiancé use the banister to aid his steps.

"I'll be alright," the conscious martial artist insisted. "Let's get Pops sorted out so he doesn't drown in the tub."

"If you insist," the Tendo mother shrugged dubiously.

Ranma blinked. "I though it was rude to leave a corpse in your host's house."

Reiko giggled at her fiancé's puzzled expression until his mask began to slip and his chuckles woke up his passenger.

"Wha? Where am I?" the redhead in the fireman's carry asked.

"You're about to go in the bath, Pops."

"Oh, why are you carrying me?"

"Because we needed to discuss my training," Ranma answered brusquely as he dumped the petite girl on the floor.

"Oh," Genma-chan replied as she worked out a crick in her neck. "I really need a bath, so I'm going first, Boy."

"Age before beauty," Ranma gestured to the door with an insufferable smirk.

"What! Any man would be glad to have an absolute stunner like me!" the buxom girl snorted angrily.

Ranma tried valiantly to keep a straight face as his transgendered father realised what she'd uttered.

"Yes, you are cute, Saotome-chan," Reiko teased. "In fact, I think that a number of the neighbourhood boys are going to be interested in dating you."

"I didn't mean that," the scarlet cheeked girl insisted.

"Hey Pops, didn't you promise Mom you'd make me a 'man among men'? What's she gonna say about your sex change?" Ranma asked. He'd tried to maintain an innocent tone, but his fiancée's words had made him lose any composure he had.

Genma, exhausted from the earlier sparring, just grumbled something about disrespectful children before walking to the bathroom.

"Not so fast," Ranma called out as he grabbed a handful of red hair.

"Aargh!" the buxom martial artist screamed. "What're you doing, Boy!"

"Is there anyone in the bathroom?" the pigtailed Saotome asked.

The door slid open to reveal a freshly bathed Akane dressed in a pair of jeans and yellow sweater.

"Bathroom's free," the youngest Tendo announced with a small, but honest smile. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Reiko answered. "Genma was about to take a bath, weren't you?"

"Yes," the transgendered Saotome replied gruffly before striding past into the changing area.

"Ranma-san, are you ok?" Akane asked when she noticed her mother's fiancé favouring his left leg.

"Yeah, Pops got in a few cheap shots, that's all," he replied.

"Still, I think I should take a look at your leg, Ranma-kun," Reiko insisted. "I do know what I'm doing, I'm a trained physiotherapist."

"Oh, ok," Ranma nodded in appreciation.

"Come with me and I'll take a look at your knee in my room," Reiko smiled as she aided a reluctant Ranma to the Tendo's master bedroom.

"I can walk on my own," the pigtailed young man protested.

"You like it really," the older woman giggled teasingly as she closed the door behind them.

Ranma could only stammer and blush in response to the way his fiancée was removing his trousers and pushing him on to the bed.

* * *

Nabiki flicked through the TV channels until she decided that there was nothing worth watching. 

"I'm bored, what's Ranma up to?" she asked after switching off the TV and discarding the remote. "Maybe he's in the bath…"

Sneaking upstairs, she hoped to get another eyeful of prime male flesh.

* * *

Reiko was trying to maintain an air of professionalism while she inspected her fiancé's left knee. While Ranma wasn't the first attractive, half-naked man that she'd treated, he was the first man she'd invited into her room since the death of her husband ten years ago. 

Gulping nervously when she was reminded that Ranma was generously equipped, Reiko gingerly touched the muscles around the knee.

"Does this hurt at all?"

"No," Ranma replied with a shake of his head. "That bit there's a bit sore," he added when his fiancée prodded the cartilage below the kneecap.

"Hmm," the Tendo matriarch said as she thought about what might be causing the blue-eyed young man's pain. "Lie on your back, Ranma-kun, I want to see how the muscles tense and relax."

Ranma did as he was told, the brunette's gentle, yet firm hands guiding the bending of his knee.

As Reiko bent the knee, she couldn't help but notice that her fiancé's boxer shorts were open at the bottom and with very little effort, she'd be able to see something that'd make her the envy of not only her daughters, but many of the local neighbourhood women.

Leaning in to check the muscle tension, Reiko's mind drifted slightly to what their position was looking like with her between a man's legs. It was a knock on the door that brought her out of her mild fantasy. Her door opened to reveal Nabiki standing in the doorway with a look that was equal parts jealousy, shock, and intrigue.

"Mom? What are you doing?" the short haired girl asked, her lips suddenly dry.

"I'm taking a look at Ranma-kun's knee, why? Is something up?"

"It looks like your getting a look at other parts of Ranma-kun," Nabiki dryly noted. "Something's about to pop out for a visit."

Ranma looked down in horror to see his wedding tackle almost exposed.

"AAH!" he quickly moved his hands to cover himself up. "Sorry about that."

"No problem at all, Ranma-kun," the middle Tendo daughter winked. "I certainly don't see a problem with your bits."

Ranma's face began to turn scarlet as he felt Reiko's fingers creep up his thigh. "R-r-reiko-san?"

"What? Oh, sorry, Ranma-kun, I wasn't paying attention," the older woman admitted, her own blush showing.

"That's not fair, how come you get to play with Ranma?"

"One, he's my fiancé because you and your sisters weren't interested in him and two, you're a naughty girl, Nabiki-chan," the brunette with the collar length hair chided. "Don't think that I don't know about your collection of yaoi doujinshi and vibrating panties."

"There's nothing wrong with enjoying yaoi stories," a red faced Nabiki insisted.

"But vibrating panties?" Ranma, equally crimson cheeked, asked.

"She has to be able to turn the pages," the widow reasoned.

"But does that mean that I can play with Ranma-kun?" Kasumi asked in an innocent tone from the doorway. "I've been a good girl."

"No, Kasumi-chan," Reiko replied, her blood pressure rising rapidly. "Why should Ranma-kun show you the French Flipper Trick?"

"I'm not showing anyone that," Ranma insisted from his foetal position on the bed.

"Why not, Ranma-kun?" the oldest Tendo asked with a slight frown. "Is there something wrong with showing your fiancée what she can expect in the marital bed?"

"Yes!" the pigtailed young man replied, rocking back and forth. "You're not supposed to touch people in the bathing suit area!"

"Even if they ask you to?" Nabiki asked in disbelief.

"Yes, that means that they want you to do icky things with you," Ranma answered in a child-like voice.

The Tendos frowned when they realised that Ranma had undergone a massive amount of mental trauma during the training.

"Perhaps Dr. Tofu knows about the French Flipper Trick?" Reiko mused.

"Dr. Tofu? But he's so silly," Kasumi replied with a light blush.

"He's only silly around you, Kasumi," Nabiki snorted. "Wait, Ranma's been through the training and he acts odd in certain situations, maybe Dr. Tofu's been through the training as well?"

"Dr. Tofu knows the French Flipper Thingy? Maybe he'll teach it to me!" Akane said a little too loudly from the hallway.

"Eavesdropping, Akane-chan? I'm disappointed in you," Reiko said sadly as she shook her head. "But in this case, it's ok, because I want you to go to Dr. Tofu and ask him if he knows anything about it. Don't ask him to train you."

"Why not?" the disappointed Tendo heir asked.

"Because it could be really dangerous," Nabiki drawled. "Look Akane, we know that you're a martial artist, and you're a good one, but you should know what risks are worth taking."

"Oh," Akane replied, looking rather sheepish. "I'll give him a call."

* * *

To be continued… 

Well, this was probably not what some of you were expecting.

If you liked it, then that's ok. If not, then submit your receipt for a full refund.

This foolishness was pre-read by Chi Vayne, I'll reward him with a week off from pre-reading duties over Christmas.

Until laterer comes.


	4. Chapter 4

Make Room for Daddy

By Lord Raa

* * *

Disclaim-me-do: The more it stays the same, the less it changes. And that's the Majesty of Rock.

Part 4

* * *

Akane finished her telephone conversation with Doctor Tofu and turned to face her sisters.

"He'll be over shortly," she smiled to her concerned siblings.

"That's good," Kasumi said in a relieved tone. "I'll prepare some tea and snacks."

* * *

Back in her bedroom, Reiko comforted her obviously traumatised fiancé.

"No-one here will make you do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable," the Tendo widow reassured. "I promise."

Ranma nodded and slowly relaxed. "I'm sorry for being like this."

"It's ok, Ranma-kun," Reiko said as she hugged the young Saotome. Deciding that it would be good to take the pigtailed youth's mind off the subject of sex, the head of the Tendo household changed the subject to martial arts. "You seemed bothered about Akane's training earlier. Why was that?"

"Who told her that she's 4th Dan?" Ranma asked with a concerned tone.

"I don't know, why?"

Ranma took in a deep breath. "She's not bad, but she's not the 4th Dan she thinks she is. She's a 2nd, maybe a 3rd on a good day. Whoever told her she's 4th Dan lied to her."

"I see," Reiko frowned. "I'll talk to Akane about it later."

The affianced pair was interrupted by the arrival of Nabiki telling them that Dr. Tofu was now here.

* * *

Downstairs in the Tendo home, Nerima's friendly chiropractor was trying to talk to Kasumi.

"H-h-h-h-hi Kasumi, what are you doing here?"

"Oh Doctor Tofu, you're so silly," the eldest Tendo daughter giggled.

The smitten doctor smiled behind his fogged up glasses until Reiko tugged on his left ear, snapping him out of his love induced haze.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Tofu. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions."

"Certainly, Tendo-san," Tofu said in a business-like tone. "What seems to be the problem?"

"I want to ask you about something called the 'French Flipper Trick', what do you know of it?" the Tendo widow asked in an equally business-like tone as she led him to the common room.

Tofu stopped dead in his tracks. "Did you say 'French Flipper Trick'?"

"Yes, what do you know of it?"

The Doctor sighed sadly. "It's a legendary technique that's shrouded in mystery, rumour and bald faced lies."

"What can you tell me?" Reiko pressed on. "I mean, do the trainees go through unspeakable horrors and mental trauma?"

"I can't say for sure, as I've never spoken to someone who's gone through the training. Why? What's brought this on?"

"I think my fiancé has been through it," the Tendo homemaker answered.

"Your fiancé?" Tofu parroted.

"Yes, it's a long story," Reiko winced before explaining the situation to her visitor.

* * *

Ranma made his way down to see the doctor after freshening up. When he entered the room, the conversation died.

"How are you feeling, Ranma-kun?" Reiko asked with a sympathetic look.

"I'm much better now, sorry about earlier," the pigtailed youth bowed his head.

"That's ok, Ranma-kun. Oh, this is Dr. Tofu," the brunette smiled.

"Pleased to meet you," the bespectacled man bowed.

Before they could discuss anything further, Kasumi opened the door.

"Sorry to bother you, but I've been called into work today."

"Oh, ok, Kasumi. What time will you be back?" Reiko asked.

"After closing time," the eldest Tendo girl answered.

"Won't it be dark then?" Ranma asked, concerned for his soon-to-be stepdaughter. "I'll walk you there and back."

"Thank you, Ranma-kun," Reiko smiled as her fiancé stood up.

* * *

As Ranma walked with Kasumi to where she worked, the pigtailed youth asked about her job.

"I work at the Hana Shiro, it's only a little bit further up the road here," the brunette answered.

"You work with flowers?" Ranma asked with an absent-minded tone.

"Yes, is that a problem? Do you have allergies?" Kasumi asked, not wanting to cause discomfort for the nice man.

"No, it's nothing like that," the blue-eyed youth replied. "It's that I know the name 'Hana Shiro' from somewhere…"

"Oh, ok."

* * *

Back at the Tendo Dojo, Reiko was talking with her guest. "So then, Dr. Tofu, what are your intentions towards Kasumi?"

"K-k-kasumi?" the bespectacled man stammered.

"I see, so you do like her? How is your relationship coming along? Are you likely to get engaged anytime soon?"

"E-e-engaged?" Tofu parroted before dancing a waltz around the room with a cushion in his arms.

"I'll take that as a positive answer. So then, Tofu, how long have you been dating my daughter?" Reiko asked.

"We haven't been on one yet," the Doctor admitted.

"I see," the Tendo matriarch drawled, making a mental note to interrogate her daughters.

* * *

Outside the Hana Shiro, Ranma looked up to see a vaguely familiar face.

"It's you from yesterday!" a cute, buxom blonde in her late teens said as she pointed at the pigtailed youth.

"Yesterday? What are you talking about, Tsukiko?" Kasumi asked, confused at the scene unfolding before her.

"You know why Megumi called in sick today?" Tsukiko Tamura replied. After seeing her co-worker shake her head, she continued. "She's still shaken up about the attempted robbery yesterday when she went to the bank."

"Oh my!"

"Yeah, and get this, he," the blonde said excitedly as she pointed at Ranma, "he appeared from nowhere and saved the day by beating up the robber!"

"It's a martial artist's duty to protect those that need it," Ranma shrugged.

"Why didn't you tell us about it, Ranma-kun?" asked the brunette.

"All in a day's work," the raven haired man answered in a slightly boastful manner.

"Wait a minute, how do you know this VERY nice man, Kasumi?" Tsukiko asked, her hands on her hips.

"Well, it's an honour pled-" Ranma started to say, but was cut off by the eldest Tendo daughter.

"He's a friend of the family. Our fathers trained together."

"Oh, I see. That explains the ass kicking he dealt out yesterday. So then, Ranma, is it?" the blonde flirted, her arms now drawing attention to her impressive cleavage. "Are you looking for something for your girlfriend?"

Kasumi was making frantic "don't say anything" gestures to the young Saotome in a bid to prevent the next few hours of her life being made a lot more difficult than normal.

"No," Ranma replied was honest, but rather unnatural. "I've got to get going. Call home so I can walk with you when you're ready, ok, Kasumi?"

"Yes, Ranma-kun, I'll be fine." The brunette smiled as she watched her mother's fiancé's well muscled back flex during his departure.

"Oh, I think somebody's smitten..." Tsukiko sing-songed.

Kasumi blushed as she tried to focus on her job as a sales assistant in the florists.

* * *

Ranma arrived back at the Tendo Dojo to see Reiko in deep thought.

"Is something wrong, Reiko-san?"

"What? Oh, sorry, Ranma-kun, I was thinking about something else," the woman with collar length hair smiled. "Actually, I'd like to talk to you about something."

"Ok."

"I think that my daughters have been lying to us," Reiko said in the manner of a TV detective. "I asked Dr. Tofu how long he and Kasumi had been going out, but it seems that they haven't even been on a date yet."

"I see," Ranma frowned as he took a seat next to his fiancée. "So what do we do? Do you tell them that you know that they've been lying, or do you wait for them to come clean?"

"I'll speak with them all together when Kasumi comes back from work. There's something else, though, Ranma-kun."

"Hmm?"

Reiko shifted in her place as she turned to face her fiancé. "I'm afraid that your father has enrolled you in the local high school. I know that you're not seeing eye-to-eye at the moment, but I have to agree with him on this."

Ranma looked at his fiancée sceptically.

"But it does mean that you can keep an eye on Akane."

"Ok," the young Saotome nodded, "I'll do it so I can help Akane IF she needs it."

* * *

At the Hana Shiro, Kasumi was being questioned mercilessly by her co-worker about the young Saotome.

"So then, Kasumi-chan, what can you tell me about Ranma?"

"Not much, other than he's been training in his family style of martial arts for the last twelve years," the brunette admitted as she rang up a sale for the customer in the shop.

Tsukiko wasn't convinced. "Really? Well, I'd have thought that since he's living with you, that he's taken a couple of baths in a crowded house…"

Kasumi's face turned scarlet as she recalled a certain manly appendage swinging freely.

The blonde accurately read her friend's expression. "Ah ha! So you have seen him shirtless!"

"Once or twice," Kasumi replied. She tried to sound cool, but the fact that her cheeks were still filled with blood ruined the act.

"So does he have a nice body? Does he train with his shirt off?" Tsukiko asked as she leant in.

"Yes," the eldest Tendo daughter nodded, the distribution of her blood slowly returning to normal.

"So you wouldn't mind if you walked in on him when he's getting out the furo?"

"TSUKIKO!"

"What? Are you trying to tell me that you'd complain if there was an 'accident'?" Tsukiko asked with a smirk.

"That only happened once," Kasumi blurted out, before she realised what she'd said.

The buxom blonde laughed loudly. Then a thought occurred to her. "The first time was an accident, but how many times since, Kasumi-chan?"

"I don't go around peeping on people! Even if they are handsome, studly young men. I'm not a pervert, Tsukiko-chan!"

"That might be more convincing if you weren't as red as the roses in the window, Kasumi-chan," Tsukiko giggled.

* * *

Akane was returning to her room with a glass of iced tea, when she heard her mother talking with Ranma. Stopping to change which hand was carrying her drink, she overheard the affianced pair discussing the suitors.

"So you really think that they were all lying about boyfriends?" Ranma asked, his voice slightly muffled by the door.

"Yes," Reiko answered with a sigh. "I can understand why they didn't want to be engaged to a person they just met, but I would have thought that they would have been more receptive to their father's wishes."

Akane felt a pang of guilt at her part in the deception. Realising that now would be a good time to be honest and explain why she took part in the subterfuge, she took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Oh, hi, Mom, can I talk to you for a few minutes?"

"Yes, of course, Akane-chan," the woman with the collar length chestnut hair smiled.

"I'll give you some privacy," Ranma said as he stood to leave.

"No, it's ok, Ranma-san," Akane said. "This concerns you."

"Oh, ok," the pigtailed youth shrugged before sitting back down.

"Mom, Ranma-san, I've got a confession to make – I don't actually have a boyfriend right now," the youngest Tendo said in a quiet voice as she took her seat.

"Oh? And why did you say that you had one?" the Tendo widow asked, stroking her chin.

"I was afraid that Ranma was a pervert like the boys at school. That he might force himself on me if he was my fiancé."

Ranma frowned. "What's happening at school?"

Akane gulped nervously. "There's this boy at school, Kuno, he made this stupid declaration that any boy that wanted to date me had to beat in a fight."

"And do you want to date any of the boys at school?" Reiko asked her daughter.

"No! They're all perverted jerks! I have to fight them in the morning before school starts."

Ranma digested this piece of information. "What about the teachers? Why aren't they doing anything about it?"

"I heard that one of the teachers say that he's the Principal's son," Akane answered sadly.

The two Tendos could see that Ranma was not happy about the situation – unsightly vein in his forehead and the twitching around his left eye were clear indication of this fact.

"D-do you want any h-help with this, Akane?" the blue-eyed youth asked in a strained voice.

Akane looked at her mother for help with the right answer.

"I think that it might be better to observe the situation first hand before acting, Ranma-kun," Reiko offered. "That way we can see who we need to deal with."

Ranma nodded. "Excuse me; I need to go to the dojo."

After Ranma had left the room, Reiko turned to her youngest daughter. "Akane, I want you to know that I'll do anything I can to help you with this problem. That said; I'm not happy about being lied to."

"I'm sorry, Mom," the darker haired Tendo replied, her head bowed.

"But I am proud that you managed to admit that you did something wrong. Because of that and your problem with school, I'm not going to punish you like your sisters. That reminds me, why didn't you tell me about your problems at school?"

"I can fight my own battles, you know."

"I know that, Akane-chan, but you can't fight all of them on your own. That said, if you want me or Ranma to help you, we will," the Tendo matriarch said reassuringly.

"Thanks Mom," Akane nodded in appreciation.

* * *

Ranma angrily punched and kicked at invisible foes, intent on punishing them for the trouble that Akane was having at school.

He continued his work out until Akane entered the dojo to tell him that Kasumi had called and was ready to return home from work.

"Oh, sorry, Akane, I was thinking of something else," the blue-eyed young man replied. "Are you going to be ok at school? I know you can handle yourself in a fight, but you made it sound like there's loads of perverts after you."

"I'll manage, Ranma-san," Akane smiled.

* * *

Ranma walked briskly to the florist where Kasumi worked part time, hoping that he'd be able to calm down when he went to school in the morning. As he entered the shop, he was greeted by Tsukiko.

"Hi, Ranma," the blonde said with a dazzling smile.

"Hi," Ranma waved absently. "Kasumi, are you going to be long?"

"No, Ranma-kun," the brunette smiled.

Tsukiko walked over to Ranma. "So then, Ranma-san, are you seeing anybody right now?"

"Yes," the pigtailed Saotome nodded.

"Is it serious?"

"It's an arrange-" Ranma started but was cut off by Kasumi.

"Ranma-kun, what do you think of these flowers over here?"

"They're nice," the blue-eyed youth answered.

"You keep interrupting, Kasumi-chan," Tsukiko noted with a teasing grin. "I'm beginning to think that you're the one Ranma-san is seeing."

"Err," the brunette blushed heavily.

"I'm not engaged to Kasumi-san!" Ranma explained.

"Oh," the blonde shrugged. She looked over her blushing, panicking co-worker and realised something was up. "But I bet Kasumi-chan knows who Ranma's seeing…"

"Ackk!" The eldest Tendo daughter started to look for something that would keep her mother's fiancé from spilling the beans. "Look, Ranma-kun, orchids!"

The pigtailed youth blinked in surprise as several exotic flowers were thrust into his face without warning. He pulled away and shook his head to clear the nose full of pollen he'd received.

"Ranma-kun/Ranma-san are you alright?" the girls asked as the martial artist's eyes glazed over.

"I," Ranma started before clearing his throat. "I'm fine, ladies. Kasumi, when will you be done here?"

Kasumi whimpered when her mother's fiancé punctuated his question by tracing a finger along her jaw line, under her chin and finally brushing against her lips.

"Take me now!" the brunette demanded as she pounced on the young man in front of her.

Tsukiko intervened by throwing the contents of a watering can over the dry-humping pair, shaking Ranma out of his conditioned response.

"What? Kasumi, what's happening? Why are you trying to tear my shirt off?" the young Saotome asked as he tried to escape from under the Tendo daughter.

"Less talking, more porking!" Kasumi instructed as she straddled Ranma's hips.

"Stop! Kasumi, no!" Ranma's shouts were to no avail. When the brunette started to grind herself against his body, he sighed. "Not again. Help! Rape!"

"Kasumi, I'm shocked and appalled by your behaviour. Are you so desperate that you're molesting your houseguest?"

Kasumi shook her head and looked down to see her in a rather improper position on top of he mother's fiancé. "Oh my, I'm so sorry, Ranma-kun."

"That's ok, Kasumi-san," the distressed young man said as Tsukiko helped up off the floor. "Can we go now?"

"Yes, I think we're done here, don't you Kasumi-chan," the blonde said in a teasing tone. The pair had a shift together the following day, so Tsukiko knew she would have ample opportunity to get answers then.

* * *

A blushing Ranma and Kasumi walked home in silence, the pair having agreed never to mention the incident ever again.

As the entered the Tendo home, they were rather surprised to see a rather sheepish looking Nabiki being scolded by her mother.

"Ah, you're back. Kasumi, how many dates have you been on with Dr. Tofu?" the Tendo matriarch asked in a stern tone.

"Err...," the long haired brunette fumbled for words.

"Is the answer 'zero'? Could that be the case as you and your sister made up your boyfriends?" Reiko growled.

"Yes," Kasumi admitted.

"Well then, seeing as you and Nabiki were trying to deceive me, I've decided that you need to be punished. You two are sharing a room with Genma. Don't worry; he'll be in his cursed form."

Ranma smirked. "Oh, by the way, Pops snores even louder in his girl form. I don't know why, but he does."

The two older Tendo daughters paled when they heard that their mother had another part to the punishment to add. "I'm having an engagement party here at the weekend, so I'll need your help in preparing for it. Invite all your friends and co-workers, after all, I want them to share in my happiness."

"An engagement party?" Kasumi asked, aghast at the thought of Tsukiko's barrage of teasing she knew she'd suffer.

"Yes. And tomorrow, Ranma will be attending Furinkan with Nabiki and Akane," Reiko smiled. "Be sure to help Ranma at school, Nabiki-chan, I've enrolled him into your class."

* * *

To be continued…

Well, this chapter was pre-read by Chi Vayne, like most of my stuff.

Do you have any questions/comments/suggestions/complaints/rants from reading this chapter?

If so, you know how to contact me.

In other fanfic news: I've managed to write about a thousand words for Project Mile Two, though I need to decide how brutal Ranma should be for his mission and if that's enough to end that one.

Sausages, It was a Tuesday is about half way through the final chapter, I just need to write the aftermath of a certain event and any omake I think you'd find amusing.

Dark Heart's Desires has stalled slightly as, again, I need to decide what to do with Kuno – here's a hint, he's about to experience the life of a samurai for real…

Nothing else to add at this time, so it's until laterer comes.


	5. Chapter 5

Make Room for Daddy

By Lord Raa

* * *

Disclaim-me-do: Ah, the internet where men are men, women are men and children are FBI agents.

* * *

Chapter 5

* * *

Kasumi paced in her room, panicking about the latest turn of events. She was now going to have to share a room with Nabiki, something that she hadn't had to do for several years. 

On top of that, it was with Ranma's father – the uncouth, cursed martial artist.

It wasn't so bad in that, Genma would be in his female form, though she and her sister were concerned about Ranma's comment relating to the older Saotome's snoring.

* * *

Nabiki was sitting in her own room, thinking about how best to handle the situation that would arise when it became common knowledge about Ranma's relationship with her family. 

It wasn't that she was bothered about her mother finding another male companion, but rather the fact that she and her sisters passed up on such a prime male specimen.

"Though," the short haired girl mused, "if he's as good as we think he is, then he'll put Kuno-chan in his place."

There was a knock at her door.

"Nabiki, it's me, can I come in?"

"Sure thing, Kasumi." Nabiki opened the door and gestured to her bed. "So then, what's up, Nee-chan?"

"I've got something to tell you about Ranma-kun," the older brunette said in a conspiratorial tone.

"Oh? What about him?"

Kasumi looked around and acquired a blush as she told her sister about the incident in the florist's.

"You jumped him?" Nabiki asked incredulously. "What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't!" the college student insisted. "He just touched my face and next thing I know, I'm trying to have my way with him!"

"How did he touch you?" the shorter haired girl asked with a frown.

"Like so," Kasumi said before demonstrating on her sister.

"Meh," Nabiki shrugged. "I don't see what all the fuss was about, Kasumi. I mean, I'm not feeling the need to do anything naughty right now."

"I know what you mean, but it was after I thrust some orchids into his face. Hey, perhaps you can use your computer to search for more information on the 'French Flipper Trick'?"

"Ok, but there's no guarantee that I'll be able to find out anything useful. Remember that Dr. Tofu said it was surrounded in lies, rumour and innuendo."

"Thanks, Nabiki," Kasumi smiled before leaving to take a bath.

* * *

While Kasumi was bathing, Akane was wondering what to do about Kuno at school. While she didn't want someone that was only two years older than her being her stepfather, he would be able to keep Kuno of her back, if only for a short while. 

"Maybe Ranma isn't so bad, after all."

* * *

Nabiki, taking a break from her research into the 'French Flipper Trick', wandered downstairs for something to snack on. Upon hearing sounds of baking activity, her eyes lit up. "Cookies…" 

Walking quietly into the kitchen, she saw Ranma standing behind her mother with a carton in hand.

"Hey, Reiko-san, is it ok if I have some of this orange juice?"

"Ah!" the Tendo matriarch squealed in surprise as she turned around and emptied the contents of the bottle of vanilla essence in her fiancé's face.

Ranma blinked as he inhaled a large amount of the vapour. He shuddered slightly before wrapping his arms around Reiko.

"I wonder if your daughters will ever grow up to be as beautiful as their mother," the pigtailed youth said as he licked Reiko's right earlobe.

Ranma's fiancée shivered in pleasure when he started to kiss her neck.

"Let's forget about these cookies, I've got something warming up in the Dutch Oven right now," the blue-eyed young man whispered huskily. "Let's kick things up a notch. Bam!"

Ranma's last comment was punctuated with a light squeeze on the voluptuous woman's pert buttocks.

"Yes! Take me now!" Reiko breathed as she suddenly felt the need to relieve over a decade's worth of abstinence.

A smiling Ranma reached over and turned the oven off before leading his fiancée to the master bedroom.

"Mom!" Nabiki protested as the happy couple approached her.

"What do you want, Nabiki?" Reiko asked with a sigh. "Can it wait; I've got someone important to do…"

"Don't you mean something?" the middle Tendo daughter demanded with a blush.

"You sound jealous, Nabiki-chan," the older brunette smirked. "Oh, but wait a minute, didn't you and your sisters pass the engagement on to me?"

"But that's not the point!"

"Then what is your point, Nabiki?" Ranma asked in a teasing tone. "You mother and I are just planning to spend some QUALITY time together."

"You're not acting like you were earlier, Ranma. What's the crack?" Nabiki demanded.

Ranma sighed before disentangling himself from Reiko. "The answer to your question is the French Flipper Trick."

The middle Tendo daughter frowned. "Didn't you complain that it's a perverted move earlier?"

"Yes. The thing is that in order to keep the population at large safe, the training is locked away using post-hypnotic suggestions that wear off when the trainee is considered mature enough to deal with his situation," the pigtailed youth said in a tone that made Nabiki consider being a "naughty schoolgirl that needed to be disciplined by her sexy sensei". "Orchids have the effect of unlocking the training until the trainee experiences a physical shock. That's when he feels that intimacy is a bad thing."

"Do you remember anything you do when you're in this state?" Reiko asked, pondering the morality of using her fiancé for carnal pleasure without his consent.

"Not really," the blue-eyed martial artist shrugged. "Though I've had a few odd dreams about whipped cream…"

The two Tendos acquired sneaky grins.

"And when will you be able to bring forth knowledge of the French Flipper Trick at will?" Nabiki asked innocently.

Ranma smirked. "That would be telling, my dear Nabiki. Now if you'll excuse us, we've got something fun planned for the evening."

Reiko smiled when she felt a pair of strong arms encircle her waist and rough, calloused hands stroke the sides of her abdomen. "Yes, we've got plans for all kinds of fun."

"I've just got to wash my face," the young Saotome said as he gave his fiancée a few kisses on her jaw line.

* * *

As Ranma washed his face in the sink, he had a smile on his face. "Reiko-san seems to know what she wants." 

Using his hands to scoop clean water over his face, the young Saotome rinsed the soap off. Shivering as the suds rinsed away, he noticed that there wasn't anymore hot water in the tank.

"Damn Pops must've used all the hot water."

After patting his face dry with a towel, Ranma left the washroom and headed out to his own room, glad that his troublesome father was no longer bunking with him.

What he didn't expect to happen was Reiko's bedroom door opening and an arm wrenching him inside.

"So glad you could make it," the Tendo widow purred.

"R-Reiko-san, where are your clothes?" the blue-eyed martial artist stammered.

"I thought that it was obvious that they wouldn't be needed, Ranma-kun," Reiko whispered as she tried to separate her fiancé from his clothes. "I mean you did say that we were going to have some fun."

"I-I-I did?" Ranma gulped as he felt the rather naked woman embrace him. Then it occurred to him what had happened. Holding his fiancée at arms length, he sighed before explaining the situation.

"Reiko-san, I'm sorry, but I think I was under the influence of the French Flipper Trick. It's not the first time this has happened; I think something happened earlier today in the florist's when I picked up Kasumi."

"What happened?" the brunette demanded.

Ranma took a deep breath before recounted what he remembered from the earlier incident.

"I see," Reiko nodded; her analytical brain was working out how best to deal with this problem that her fiancé had.

The young Saotome nodded in thanks, though he wished he hadn't caught quite as big an eyeful of his fiancée's naked body. The brunette had a full and curvy figure, one that was a bit thicker than Kasumi's, but that was because she had had three children.

Ranma could see that despite breastfeeding her children, Reiko's breasts were still firm and had yet to start sagging.

Reiko smiled when she saw Ranma looking at her body. "I take it you like what you see?"

The blue-eyed youth gulped.

"Thanks, Ranma-kun, I work hard to keep my body in this condition," the Tendo widow winked before stretching.

Now Ranma's nose started to bleed, and he looked away in embarrassment.

Reiko saw a prime opportunity for teasing the young man before her and started to sniffle. "Waah, my fiancé doesn't want to look at my naked body. He thinks I'm hideous!"

"I don't think you're hideous, Reiko-san," Ranma insisted.

"Then prove it," the naked woman said as she wiped her rapidly drying eyes.

"Here," the pigtailed martial artist said as he embraced his fiancée. "I wouldn't do this if I didn't like you."

"Mother!" a scandalised Kasumi exclaimed from the doorway.

"Have you no shame?" Nabiki swiftly followed up.

"That's rich coming from two very naughty girls who 1) lied about having boyfriends to avoid an engagement that their father made and 2) keep trying to take advantage of their soon-to-be stepfather," the older brunette scolded, though she still kept her arms around Ranma's waist. "Besides, it's been a VERY long time since I had intimate contact."

"Mother!" the two blushing daughters protested in unison.

"Yes, well, it's a damn shame that you don't approve," the Tendo widow replied sternly. "You should have thought about what would have happened when you came up with your plan to force me into this engagement by lying to me about fictitious boyfriends. You made your bed, now lie in it. That's what Ranma-kun and I plan to do."

Ranma gulped when he felt two soft orbs press into his back. "R-Reiko-san!"

"I know, Ranma-kun, I'm trying to get rid of our audience," Reiko apologised, "but what can you do with such naughty girls? I don't think spanking them is a good idea, no matter how much they deserve or want one."

"Mother!" Kasumi squeaked, her face threatening to burst from the blood pressure.

"Oh yeah, you'd like that wouldn't you, Kasumi-chan. I know all about your bad behaviour, trying to rape my fiancé. How could you?"

"Eh? What? Kasumi was trying to rape Ranma? When did this happen?" the newly arrived Akane demanded with her hands on her hips.

"Yes," the pigtailed Saotome sighed and held his face in shame. "It happened earlier, but I didn't want to touch anyone like that, it was an accident."

"Why wouldn't you want to touch anyone like that, Ranma-kun?" asked the middle daughter.

"I told you it's wrong to touch people in the bathing suit area. Even if they throw you to the floor and start saying lewd things like 'less talking more porking'."

The whole of Kasumi's torso was now flush with blood as her family's attention was directed at her.

"Did I miss a meeting or something?" Akane asked with a frown. "Since when did Ranma-san become YOUR boyfriend, Kasumi?"

"Oh, he's not Kasumi's boyfriend," Reiko smirked, "he's my fiancé. Now let us have some privacy for the rest of the evening and I might not punish you all for being such naughty girls."

"But…" the youngest girl protested.

"That's it, you're all sleeping in the dojo until further notice," the naked brunette declared. She grabbed Ranma by his shirt. "Not you, Ranma, you're staying here with me. You can't go around getting me all excited and then running off like that!"

"MOTHER!" the girls shouted in disbelief.

"What?" Reiko demanded. "Just because you're not getting any it means that I have to go without too?"

The shocked and appalled daughters nodded in unison.

"Well, I disagree and I'm the one with the studly martial artist fiancé. So suck on that," the older Tendo smirked as she wrapped her arms around an extremely nervous Ranma. "Don't worry, dear, I'll make up to you for all these interruptions."

"What? How?" the confused youth stammered out.

"Whilst they're all thinking about their naughty behaviour and tasting their punishment I'll be tasting your ma-"

"Mother! How can you say such things in front of your daughters?" Nabiki demanded. "I'm beginning to worry about Ranma-kun's welfare. I don't think leaving him here with you is such a good idea."

"I agree," Kasumi nodded. "Ranma-kun's in grave danger."

Akane didn't disagree with her sister's opinion, but she did doubt the motive behind their protests. The Tendo heir looked up when she heard a knock at the door. "I'll get it. Err, Mom, don't you think you should put some clothes on?"

"I'll only have to take them off again when I go to bed with Ranma-kun," the Tendo matriarch sighed. "Ok, I'll put something on. Now go answer the door."

* * *

At the front door, a kimono clad woman shifted the long, thin bundle in her arms as she prepared to meet with her family for the first time in over ten years. 

"Can I help you?" Akane asked with a smile.

"I hope so. I do apologise for bothering you so late; my name's Nodoka Saotome and my husband Genma called me earlier. I was hoping I could speak with him and my son."

"Oh yes, please come in, I'm Akane Tendo, I'll get everyone ready."

Nodoka bowed politely before stepping inside and removing her shoes. As she entered the common room, she was greeted by the sight of a slightly drunken Genma.

"Genma? What are you doing like that?"

"Wha? Oh shit! Sorry No-chan, I was celebrating the fact that Ranma was being manly with his fiancée," the portly man slurred.

"Where is Ranma?" the copper-haired woman asked with more than a hint of hope in her voice.

"I'm here," the pigtailed youth said as he entered the room with Nabiki and Kasumi following him. "What's up Pops?"

"Ranma, say hello to your mother," the bespectacled Saotome insisted.

"Are you yanking my chain? 'Cos if you are, I'll make you regret it."

"Stop being such a drama queen, Boy!"

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Hi Mom, how've you been for the last decade?"

"Ranma? Oh you look so manly!" Nodoka sighed happily as she tightly hugged her only child.

"What's going on here?" Reiko, newly arrived and dressed, asked with a forced politeness. "Who are you and why are you hugging my fiancé like that?"

"I'm Nodoka Saotome, I'm Ranma's mother. Genma called me earlier," Mrs. Saotome replied. "What do you mean 'fiancé'?"

"Our husbands decided that the schools of Anything Goes should be joined. Unfortunately, my husband Soun passed away ten years ago and my daughters lied to me about having boyfriends, so they forced me into the engagement."

"Oh," Nodoka replied dubiously. 'Daughters? Does that mean she won't want any more babies? Then Yui will be a grandmother before me. I can't allow that!'

"Mom?" Ranma asked hesitantly. "Is everything ok?"

"I'm not sure, son. I think that we all need to have a discussion about the engagement."

* * *

This seems like an appropriate place to end this chapter. 

Oh yes, I am evil.

And you love me for it.

As always, this was pre-read by Chi Vayne.

Until laterer descends upon us all…


	6. Chapter 6

Make Room for Daddy

By Lord Raa

* * *

Disclaim-me-do: The pack on my back is aching. The straps seem to cut me like a knife.

* * *

Chapter 6

* * *

Nodoka looked at her son's fiancée. While Reiko was beautiful and judging by the way she looked at Ranma there was certainly some attraction between the two, she wasn't sure that the elder Tendo was the best choice for her grandbabies.

"So then, Reiko-san, are you planning to have my son's children?"

Reiko took a deep breath. "I hadn't given it much thought."

"I see." The copper-haired woman frowned ever so slightly. She turned her attention to the eldest daughters. "And what if we switched the engagement to either of you two?"

Kasumi's face lit up. "Would we be trying the old fashioned way?"

"I don't see why not," Nodoka smiled.

"Hey, I never said that I wasn't going to have any more children," Reiko exclaimed. "I only said that I hadn't given it much thought."

The older Tendo sisters deflated slightly.

"But you are willing to have my son's children?" Mrs. Saotome asked, hoping that her long term rival wouldn't beat her to the punch.

"Yes," Ranma's fiancée said, her eyes narrowing. "Besides which, my daughters declined the invitation."

"But that's because we didn't know what he looked like naked," Kasumi blurted out.

All eyes in the room turned to the long haired brunette.

"What? It's true," Kasumi insisted. "I mean, how were we supposed to know that he knew the French Flipper Trick or that his dangly parts are straight out of some kind of bizarre erotic tale?"

The eyes all blinked audibly in unison.

"You've seen him n-naked?" Akane asked hesitantly. "When did this happen?"

"When he took a bath earlier," the employed Tendo daughter explained. "Don't look at me like that, it was an accident! I didn't go in there to peep on him!"

"But you did like what you saw?" Nodoka asked, hoping that while it would be unconventional, it certainly wouldn't be unacceptable (at least to her) if Ranma was to have children by different members of the same family.

"What's all the fuss about?" Ranma asked, unsure why Kasumi, Nabiki and Reiko were all nodding with slightly vacant looks in their eyes. "I mean, I'm not special, am I?"

"Well, according to the sex-ed literature, yes you are, Ranma-kun," Nabiki replied. "Let's just say that it's a good thing that they didn't use you for an example in the textbooks. They'd be a lot of depressed boys out there, thinking that they were small rather than average sized."

"That would explain why I got those stares when I was in the bathhouses…" Ranma trailed off in reminiscence. "But what's that got to do with anything?"

"Have you ever had a sex education lesson, Ranma-kun?" Reiko asked with a frown.

"No, but I do know that you're not supposed to touch people in the bathing suit area."

Nodoka wore a look of surprise on her face. "But how can you be manly if you don't know about sex…"

"What is it with you and manliness?" Reiko asked, not really liking the way her future mother-in-law was behaving.

"Well, the thing is that Genma promised to raise Ranma to be a man among men or they'd both commit seppuku," the copper haired woman explained as she pulled out the contract her husband and son had signed.

"That's right, he mentioned something about that yesterday," Nabiki added before getting a good look at the death contract. "So it is true."

"Pops, I think you've got some explaining to do!" Ranma growled.

"Shit," the portly man swore as he scrambled to escape his son's wrath. During his attempted flight to freedom, he spilled his cold sake on him, activating his curse.

Nodoka did a double take. "What's going on here? Who are you and what happened to my husband?"

"I'm still Genma," the redhead explained. "During our training trip, we went to the legendary cursed training grounds of Jusenkyo. It was there that I received a curse. Hot water changes me back to my male body."

Ranma helpfully poured hot tea over his transgendered parent's head. "See?"

The Saotome matriarch nodded. "Did you get cursed there too, Ranma?"

"No," the pigtailed youth replied. "I fell into the Spring of Drowned Boy."

The copper-haired woman breathed a sigh of relief. 'I don't know what I'd have done if it was Ranma and not Genma that was cursed to change into a girl…'

Ranma broke the musings of those present with a yawn, the day having finally caught up with him. "Sorry about that."

"That's ok, Ranma-kun," Reiko smiled. "Why don't you and the others go to bed, you do have school in the morning. I'd like to speak with Mrs. Saotome for a bit longer."

"Ok," the pigtailed Saotome nodded before leaving for some much needed rest.

As the children left for bed, Reiko shifted to get more comfortable. "Now then, Saotome-san, what is it that you consider to be manly? Ranma-kun is a nice young man, and I don't want to see him suffer."

"I didn't say that he wasn't manly, Tendo-san," Nodoka countered. "I just need some proof of this. They way you leapt to his defence and the way your daughters look at him give me great confidence, but I do want to be a grandmother soon."

"You will be when Ranma and I get married," the Tendo widow insisted.

"That doesn't count," the woman dressed in the blue kimono shook her head.

"What?"

"You know in the Great Grandbaby Race, only children that are the offspring of your children count!" Nodoka insisted in a tone that was a mix of "well, duh" and her normal well-mannered speech.

"Great Grandbaby Race? Did I miss something here?" Reiko asked, getting the vibe that her potential mother-in-law was unbalanced.

"Don't you have any friends that are also mothers?" the copper-haired woman asked. "You know the parents of your daughters' friends?"

"I do, but to be honest, the subject of grandchildren never came up until now. I am only thirty-three, you know."

"Your point is? I'm 34, my son is 18 and I want to dote on his children. What's so wrong with that?" Mrs. Saotome asked with a sad sigh.

"Nothing, but two of my daughters are still in school. If it's all the same to you, I'd rather them not be teenaged mothers like I was," a narrow eyed Reiko replied with a slight growl. "Besides which, they didn't want to get engaged to Ranma, and that left me. Especially seeing as Genma-chan over there is still married to you. Not that I'm interested in your husband."

"Yes, I can see why you'd choose the next generation over the last. Though you really have to admit, my husband does have a nice figure."

"If you like portly men, yes," the Tendo widow agreed hesitantly.

"I was referring to his cursed form."

As the room fell deadly silent, Genma-chan sobered up instantly. Ordinarily he might be excited about the fact that his wife also appreciated the female form, but the fact that she was also a raving lunatic did make him somewhat hesitant to suggest that they have a threesome.

"Err, I'm a bit tired too, so I'll see you in the morning," the cursed martial artist smiled as she left the room quickly.

"Ok," Nodoka nodded. She smiled internally as she got a good look at the well toned backside leaving the room. Shaking her head to clear the naughty thoughts, she turned her attention back to her son's fiancée. "Where were we?"

"We were just about done for the night," Reiko lied politely. The brunette felt a pang of guilt when she glanced at the time. "Would you like to stay for the night?"

"Thank you," Mrs. Saotome bowed. "May I share a room with my husband? I wish to talk to him some more."

"What about Ranma? He's got his first day at Furinkan in the morning."

"I think that it would be ok if he was to spend the night with his fiancée, don't you?" Nodoka winked.

"Well, since you put it that way," the Tendo widow smiled. 'Perhaps she isn't so bad after all…"

* * *

Ranma exited the bathroom and made his way to the spare room when he saw his mother and fiancée walk up the stairs.

"Ranma-kun, there's been a slight change in plan; you're going to be spending the night in my room," Reiko explained with a smile.

"What about Pops?" the pigtailed youth asked.

"I'll be sharing the spare room with your father," said the woman dressed in the kimono. "We won't disturb you."

"Thanks…" Ranma trailed off as his betrothed led him to the master bedroom by the hand.

"Are you going to show me more of that French Flipper Trick of yours?" the brunette half asked/half ordered.

"But that means touching you when you're naked…"

"That's quite all right, Ranma-kun, in fact I'm looking forward to it," Reiko grinned happily.

The reluctant Saotome gulped nervously as when he turned to his mother for help and received a nod of approval from the copper haired woman. "Go on, son; be manly with your fiancée."

"You are a man among men, aren't you, Ranma-kun?" the brunette whispered huskily to the less than keen martial artist.

Realising that his response determined his continued existence, Ranma bit the bullet and followed the sexy housewife to her boudoir for what he assumed to be unspeakable horror.

As the affianced pair walked off, bedroom doors closed in unison. The people that had clandestinely observed the scene were not happy about Reiko's behaviour.

"What is Mother thinking?" was the general consensus, but for differing reasons…

* * *

Moments later Kasumi, dressed a black gi with a handkerchief obscuring her features, crept silently out of her room. The eldest Tendo daughter was intent on finding out what her mother planned to do with the nice young man that was staying with them.

Reaching the utility room, the brunette borrowed the ladder and left to observe what her lonely, widowed and most likely sexually frustrated mother was doing with the innocent yet sexy young man in the privacy of the bedroom.

Putting the ladder up against the wall, the amateur peeping tom quickly moved into position to get a good look at the horrible, horrible things that her desperate mother was inflicting on the young man with the magic touch.

It certainly wasn't the case that she wanted to see Ranma in a state of undress again.

Peeking through the pane of glass, Kasumi mentally prepared herself for scene of debauchery that she was sure that was happening.

What she saw was unexpected to say the least. "Oh my," the normally well-mannered girl whispered.

* * *

In the guest room, Nodoka Saotome was asking awkward questions about her husband's new body.

"Is the change complete?" the elder woman asked. "Are you fully functional as a woman?"

"What are you doing?" the transgendered Saotome shrieked as Nodoka started to undress her.

"I need to know how complete your change is," the woman in the kimono replied as she started to inspect her husband's "condition".

Outside, it was a good thing that Kasumi was mentally prepared for something shocking, though the scene unfolding before her was rather disturbing. "Wrong window," she said a little too loudly.

The petite redhead breathed a sigh of relief as she used the distraction to escape from Nodoka's investigation into Jusenkyo curses.

"Nodoka, I don't think that the Tendos would appreciate us doing this sort of thing in their home," the scared girl protested.

"I suppose that you're right," the older female Saotome sighed disappointedly. "We'll wait until we get home."

* * *

Kasumi shuddered, but her resolve held firm. Moving to the next window along, the Peeping Tom peered through the glass, hoping to see the "the mighty trouser snake ready for taming".

What she saw was her mother's feet being massaged by her fiancé.

"What a gyp," the eldest Tendo daughter muttered.

At least that was until she saw Ranma being thrown onto the bed and stripped naked by Reiko. "Now, where were we?" the voluptuous widow asked with a hungry gleam in her eyes.

The sound of Kasumi's head knocking against the glass distracted the affianced pair.

"What was that?" Ranma asked, thankful for the interruption.

"A very naughty girl," Reiko replied, her eyes narrowing.

Unfortunately for Kasumi, the fact that she ducked out of view disrupted her balance on the ladder and she fell backwards with a crash.

The Saotome heir decided that he needed to check out the commotion and dressed and bounded out of the room in the blink of an eye.

When he saw the brunette on the floor with blood trickling out of her nose, he was concerned that she'd injured herself.

"Are you alright, Kasumi-san?"

"The trouser snake needs to be tamed," the Peeping Tom replied in an absent, giggly voice.

"What? What are you talking about, Kasumi-san?" Ranma asked as he helped her up off the ground.

"Nothing. Ah, my ankle," the brunette whimpered.

"Oh, sorry, I'll carry you inside," the pigtailed martial artist offered with a sincere smile.

* * *

As Ranma carried is future stepdaughter up the stairs, Reiko stood on the landing with her hands on her hips.

"And just what were you doing out side, Kasumi?" she demanded.

"I can explain," the younger brunette said in a weak voice.

"Please do."

"I was making sure that nothing improper happened," Kasumi offered.

"I would never take advantage of Reiko-san," Ranma insisted. He set Kasumi down, allowing her to hobble to her bedroom door.

"I wasn't referring to you, Ranma-kun," the eldest Tendo daughter replied as she shot a dirty look at her mother.

"It's been a long day," the martial artist said, hoping to defuse the tense situation, "let's all get some sleep, shall we?"

"Yes, sleep is good," Kasumi said, placing a heavy emphasis on the word "sleep".

* * *

When morning broke, Ranma stretched as he yawned from the floor beside the bed.

"You really didn't have to sleep on the floor, you know," Reiko said in a bemused tone.

"I didn't want to risk anything happening in the middle of the night," Ranma replied in an embarrassed tone.

"I see, but you do know that there's a difference between intimacy and perversion, don't you?" the brunette asked.

"There's not," Ranma shook his head.

Reiko sighed. 'It seems that I need to teach Ranma about adult relationships.' "Let's get some breakfast, shall we? I also need to make the lunches before I go to work today."

"I'll help you," the pigtailed martial artist said with a smile. "It's the least I can do."

The widow was about to protest, but relented when she realised that this was a good opportunity to reiterate her engagement to the young Saotome.

"Ok."

* * *

Breakfast was a quiet affair as the ladies present thought about their next plan of action.

'I need to make sure that he doesn't spill the beans about the engagement, or I'll be as big a laughing stock as Kuno,' Nabiki mused.

Kasumi's thoughts were along the lines of "I must convince Ranma-kun to swap the engagement over to me".

'I didn't think that my sisters were the sort of people to have dirty thoughts. If Kasumi-neechan has them, then what about the girls who talk about boys all the time? I have to keep him safe, or he won't be able to train with me,' were Akane's concerns.

Nodoka's thoughts were split between what to do about her cursed husband and whether or not her son was manly. 'I suppose that the fact that Reiko is interested in him does say that he is manly, but I'd prefer one of her daughters to be his fiancée. Still it could be worse, Genma-chan could have taken a shine to him…'

'My darling daughters managed to escape punishment last night, I should show them who's in charge,' Reiko reasoned. 'I know!'

Ranma was just focused on his morning meal. 'Man, am I hungry.'

After the excellent meal was finished, Reiko coughed politely to get everybody's attention. "Right then, I thought that it would be a good idea for me to walk with Nabiki, Akane and Ranma to Furinkan."

"What? Why?" the short haired Tendo asked, her worst case scenario emerging.

"Because we need to make sure Ranma-kun knows where the school is," the widow answered with a smile.

"Don't worry, I'll take him there, after all, he is in my class," Nabiki said, flashing her mother's fiancé a winning smile.

"Ah, but I also need to make sure that my lovely daughters aren't having problems at school," Reiko replied, flashing her second child a smile of her own. "Besides, it's a good way for us to spend time together as a family. You know, mother, father and daughters."

"Ok," Ranma said with a pleasant smile. The idea of spending time with a family sounded nice to him after so many years on the road.

"Then it's settled, Nodoka-san will stay here with Genma and Kasumi while the rest of us go to Furinkan," the senior Tendo said in a tone that told those with an ounce of sense that it was non-negotiable.

Naturally, Ranma missed it.

* * *

The Saotome heir walked with his fiancée and fellow students to the open wrought iron gates of Furinkan.

A pair of the more eagle-eyed members of the student body noticed that the Tendo sisters had company with them.

"Hey, who's that with Akane and Nabiki?"

"That's not Kasumi."

The comment of "I didn't know that they had another sister" made Reiko blush lightly.

"Whoa!" the assembled Hentai Horde gasped when the saw that the older brunette that was accompanying the sisters was in fact Mrs. Tendo.

"MILF-tastic!"

Akane growled angrily at the perverted comment. "See what I have to put up with?"

"Yes," Ranma answered, his blue eyes narrowing as he assessed the best way to beat down the troublemakers.

"What manner of unsavoury assembly is this?" a pompous voice demanded.

As the crowd parted, a tall male student, dressed in a blue hakama and carrying a bokken stepped up to the newly arrived people.

"Hark! My fierce tigress hath arrived!"

"I take it this is that Kuno guy?" Ranma asked, jerking a thumb towards the student with the flowery speech patterns.

"I see that my reputation precedes me," Kuno smiled smugly. "Allow me to formally introduce myself; I am Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High!"

"I'm Ranma Saotome, heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes," the pigtailed martial artist replied.

"I see, and what is your relationship to the pure, yet feisty Akane Tendo?"

"He is going to be Akane's stepfather when he marries me," Reiko replied, making sure that it became common knowledge that her daughters had made the mistake of passing up on being engaged.

"You must be the source of Akane's beauty," the kendoist said as understanding dawned upon him. "Forgive the crass attitudes of my kouhai, we had no idea that the Tendo Clan had planned to grace us with such beauty."

Nabiki rolled her eyes. "And the 'beat Akane before you can date her' contest? Care to explain what that was about?"

"I needed a way to sort those that had a passing fancy from those that have a pure, virtuous love for your daughter."

"Pull the other one, Kuno," Nabiki laughed loudly. "You're as perverted as they come."

"Such malign slander wounds my very soul! If you were not a mere civilian, I would punish you with the righteous vengeance of the Heavens!" Tatewaki insisted. "The Heaven themselves weep that my pure and honest motives have been so badly misconstrued by those that cannot understand my noble nature!"

"I see," Reiko smiled. "Well, we can always discuss this later as I've got to go to work now. Take care, girls."

As Akane and Nabiki made their way to the main building, Reiko twisted the metaphorical knife. "Aren't you going to give your fiancée a kiss, Ranma-kun?"

The Saotome heir gulped nervously, but did as Reiko asked.

He didn't expect the widow to stick her tongue down his throat, which was why his pigtail was sticking out at an angle.

"MOM!" the Tendo sisters shouted in unison.

"How can you do that in public? Have you no shame?" Akane demanded, aghast that her family had suddenly lost their morals.

"Did you really have to show everyone that you've got a boytoy?" Nabiki hissed.

"It's not my fault you forced me to take up the engagement, Nabiki-chan," Reiko teased as she wrapped an arm around the pigtailed martial artist's waist. "Let that be a lesson to you all: you snooze, you lose."

* * *

To be continued…

Well, what can I say?

Other than this was pre-read by Chi Vayne and I stayed up quite late to finish it off.

Not sure what the next update will be. You'll get over it, I certainly have.

Until laterer comes.


	7. Chapter 7

Make Room for Daddy

By Lord Raa

* * *

Disclaim-me-do: Broadcast on all frequencies and all known languages, including Welsh

* * *

Chapter 7

* * *

Every classroom that had a view of the gates was abuzz with gossip regarding the new student.

Two rooms that had a particularly intense discussion were the two that Akane and Nabiki were in, as the Tendos were experiencing a barrage of questions.

In Akane's classroom, the youngest Tendo was being grilled about who the pigtailed young man was and why her mother was kissing him.

"I don't want to talk about it," the dark haired girl muttered angrily, folding her arms.

"But…"

"I said 'I don't want to talk about it'," Akane reiterated with a growl.

Her classmates took the hint and backed away.

* * *

In Nabiki and Ranma's classroom, the short haired Tendo had told her mother's fiancée to keep his mouth shut.

And aside from his introduction to the class, he'd done just that. As he was about to take his seat, someone shouted out: "Is it true about you and Nabiki's mom?"

"What d'ya mean?"

"Are you engaged to her? Are you going to be Nabiki and Akane's dad?"

"I guess so," Ranma shrugged.

"What?" the teacher demanded from behind his desk.

"It's a long story," the pigtailed Saotome answered somewhat bitterly.

"Don't you take that tone with me, Saotome," Mr. Kenichi Fujiyama scolded. The 36 year old teacher had a crush on the Tendo widow, and because of that he allowed Nabiki a sizable amount of leeway in the hopes of currying favour with the shapely woman.

"Look, I've been asked to keep my relationship with the Tendos quiet, so I'm doing just that," Ranma replied with a tone of finality.

Fujiyama scowled. "I'll be watching you, Saotome."

Ranma rolled his eyes, but said nothing as he sank into his chair.

"Right then," the self-proclaimed rival for Reiko Tendo said, "we'll start with a pop quiz on grammar."

The class groaned, but prepared to start the test.

* * *

"Saotome, you scored bottom of the class," the teacher said with a hint of smugness. "Anything to say for yourself?"

"Yeah, I've been on a trainin' trip for the last twelve years," the pigtailed youth replied without a trace of shame. "You try keeping up with your schoolin' when you're cold, wet and hungry out in the wilderness."

"Any other excuses?" the man with short brown hair asked, ready to send the troublemaker out to the hall with the buckets.

"Rules for grammar don't mean much to me – I'm a martial artist and I'm the best of my generation," Ranma answered in a slightly arrogant tone.

"Well they mean something here, so go and stand out in the hallway with the buckets."

The affianced young man rolled his eyes, but did as he was told. As he made his way to where the buckets were, several female members of the class took the opportunity to steal a glance at his posterior.

Among these young ladies was Nabiki Tendo, who managed to catch herself before she started to stare.

"Anyway, now that the disruptive influence has been removed, I'll continue with our lesson," Fujiyama smiled.

* * *

Outside in the hallway, Ranma stood patiently waiting to be let back in.

As he hummed a tune to himself, a pair of male students walked up to him.

"Hey, you're the new guy, aren't you?" the shorter one of the pair asked.

"Yeah, I'm Ranma Saotome."

"Is it true that you're engaged to Akane's mom?" the taller, yet slightly chubbier one asked.

"Yeah, I am. Who are you? What's it to you who I'm engaged to?" Ranma asked with narrowed eyes.

"I'm Kenji Miyamoto," the taller one said, inclining his head slightly.

"And I'm Junichi Kawamori," the shorter one with light brown hair smiled. "I can't believe you're going out with Akane's mom!"

"Why?" the martial artist asked, getting an unpleasant vibe from the pair.

"She's such a MILF!" Miyamoto insisted happily.

"Yeah!" Kawamori agreed enthusiastically.

"What's a 'MILF'?" Saotome asked.

"'Mom I'd Like to Fuck'," the perverted duo chorused.

Miyamoto stepped up to Ranma to ask him another question. "Hey, since you're their dad, can you make Akane and Nabiki do things for their allowance?"

"WHAT?!" Ranma shouted angrily. "HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?!"

"What? Don't you think that Akane and Nabiki are cute?" Kawamori asked with his arms open.

"Yeah, and your point is?" the martial artist growled.

"We were just wondering if you ever give them spankings, that's all," Miyamoto shrugged.

The unsavoury duo's comments alerted the pigtailed youth's fellow students to the window.

"Is it true?"

"Are you engaged to Nabiki's mom?"

"Damn, he's not even here for five minutes, and he's already taken!"

"Do you really get to spank Nabiki and her sisters?"

"You would dare to abuse your position as Akane's stepfather?" Kuno asked.

"What? No!" Ranma insisted.

"I see your plan, you fiend!" the kendoist declared. "You engage yourself to the lonely widow to get close to the delicate lovelies that are the Tendo daughters and use your position to have your wicked way with them!"

Ranma put the buckets on the floor and grabbed Kuno by his shirt. "That's it. Outside, now!"

"Wait, this is the third floor!" the Blue Thunder protested.

"Quiet, you," the angry young man ordered as he dragged his opponent with him out of the window. "You started this, and this is the quickest way outside."

Seconds later, the pair of combatants landed and prepared to face off against each other.

"Anything you want to say?" Ranma asked as he took up an aggressive stance.

"I, Tatewaki Kuno, will see that you are punished for your insidious plot to corrupt the fair Tendos!"

Not wasting any time with the muppet in front of him, the Saotome heir charged Kuno. He picked the kendoist up and threw him two metres, with the pompous ass slamming against the wall of the school.

"You want some more, True Blunder?" Ranma taunted.

"That's Blue Thunder, foul cur!" Tatewaki corrected.

He pulled out a bokken from nowhere and counterattacked, intending to use one of his best techniques to defeat the villainous wretch before him.

The rapid thrusts took Ranma by surprise for a moment and he was forced to dodge the barrage of strikes, but he soon recovered to reach out with a speed that made mongooses look like tortoises and stopped the wooden blade.

"If that's the best you can do, then you're in for a world of hurt, Tatebaka."

"You dare act so familiarly with me?" the enraged Kuno snorted, his blood pressure building to unprecedented levels.

"You think that beating me will make Akane want to go out with you?" Ranma replied as he stared the captain of the kendo team down. "You're the guy who made that declaration about beating Akane to date her, aren't you?"

Before Kuno could respond, Reiko's fiancé gave him an uppercut that lifted the arrogant fool a good two metres off the ground.

"Try anything with Akane again, and you'll never eat solid food again," the young Saotome warned. "And that's not a threat, that's a promise."

As Ranma strode back through the school, the crowd that had gathered to witness how he dealt with Kuno parting like the Red Sea.

The pigtailed youth reached his classroom and saw the two troublemakers that had instigated the commotion.

"Just the two people I wanted to see. We need to talk."

Miyamoto and Kawamori gulped nervously as Ranma dragged them by their collars away from prying eyes.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Ranma's teacher demanded.

"Don't worry, this won't take long," the blue-eyed martial artist grinned. "We need to discuss proper behaviour, that's all."

There were sounds of violence for the next few minutes before Ranma reappeared and dusted his hands off. "Sorry about that. Does anyone else have any questions about my relationship with the Tendos?"

The assembled students shook their heads.

"Ok then, shall we-" the young Saotome was cut off by the bell. "Oh, next lesson. Gym class, I think."

* * *

Reiko Tendo walked into the clinic where she worked. "Good morning, all," she waved to her co-workers.

"Good morning, Reiko-san. You seem extra cheerful today, what's up?" Reiko's best friend at work, Megumi Tanaka, asked with a playful tone of suspicion.

"Nothing much, just that I got engaged the other day," the brunette smiled nonchalantly.

"WHAT?" the staff chorused.

"I said I got engaged," the Tendo widow repeated as she braced herself for the inevitable barrage of questions that followed.

"Who is it?"

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"You kept that quiet, didn't you?"

"How did you meet him?"

"What's he like?"

"Does he have children of his own?"

Reiko smiled as she placed her coat on the rack and faced her colleges. "His name is Ranma. I didn't tell you because it was something that my daughters forced me into. It's an arranged marriage to unite the schools of Anything Goes."

She moved to the water cooler and prepared herself a drink. "He's a nice man, who's younger than I am and no, he doesn't have any children of his own."

"I'm happy for you, Reiko," Megumi smiled honestly.

"Thanks," Ranma's fiancée nodded. "Oh, by the way, we're having an engagement party this weekend, and you're all invited."

"Cool, I want to see what kind of stud caught your eye," Reiko's raven haired friend said in a suggestive tone.

Reiko smirked. "I suppose that you can look, but you can't touch. And when I saw 'look', I don't mean you can get him inside an examination room for a closer inspection, Megumi."

"Would I do a thing like that?" Miss Tanaka asked indignantly, though she was unable to keep straight face.

"In a heartbeat."

* * *

Ranma's class filed out on the sports field for their next lesson. The pigtailed martial artist made a few cursory stretches of his upper body as he followed the male members of his class.

"Right then, you're going to split up into two groups to play football, while the girls are doing gymnastics," the gym teacher instructed. "Kuno, you and the new kid can be captains. Pick your teams and don't do anything stupid while I help the Rhythmic Gymnastics team with their practice."

* * *

At the clinic where she worked, Reiko Tendo was wearing a big smile on her face. It was enough to get the attention of one of her regular patients.

"So then, Tendo-san, why are you so happy?" the elderly woman asked. "Have you finally gotten your one of daughters married off?"

"No, I've found myself a new man," Reiko replied.

"Oh, you seem rather pleased. I take it he's quite the catch."

"Oh he is," the brunette smiled knowingly. "He's strong, handsome, mature for his age and well, let's just say that when the time comes, I'll be having plenty of fun, Yoshida-san."

"Oh you youngsters and your obsession with sex," Mrs. Yoshida shook her head in disapproval. When she looked up she saw Reiko with her arms folded. It was enough to get her to add, "Not that my generation were any better."

"I didn't think so, Yoshida-san," Reiko smiled, "especially since you're the one that told me about legends of the French Flipper Trick."

The grandmother looked around rather guiltily. "About that, I only heard about in passing – I never experienced it first hand."

The Tendo mother leaned in conspiratorially. "I think Ranma-kun knows it."

"How old is he?" Mrs. Yoshida asked.

"18."

"That's scandalous! You'll have to fight your daughters off!"

"Yes, well, they had their chance," Reiko smirked. "They passed on the engagement."

"Engagement? Just what kind of house are you running, Tendo-san?"

"One with three daughters and a pledge that my husband made to unite the schools of Anything Goes. My daughters passed on the engagement so it fell to me," the widow replied.

Yoshida nodded in understanding. "Oh. So when will you get to experience the French Flipper Trick first hand?"

"When I can convince Ranma-kun that an engaged couple are allowed to have that kind of fun," Reiko sighed. "I don't think that he knows the difference between a 'bad touch' and a 'good touch'."

"What?" the OAP demanded. "I thought that the kids these days were obsessed with self gratification and fulfilling their hedonistic desires. Don't tell me he's got the libido of a rock…"

"No. Well, sometimes. I know he's been training in martial arts to be the best of his generation, so he's not really been chasing girls, but then sometimes he acts in a husbandly fashion," Reiko winked. "Maybe that's the French Flipper Trick at work?"

"Maybe."

* * *

Back at Furinkan, Ranma was dribbling the football up the pitch as Kuno came charging in as revenge for the humiliation he suffered earlier.

The pigtailed martial artist was able to shrug the shoulder barge off as he continued his push for goal. He was outside the penalty area when he struck the ball with his right foot.

The keeper had no chance of getting to the ball as it slotted into the top left hand corner.

A clear 2.5 seconds after the ball left Ranma's possession, Kuno knocked the young Saotome off his feet with a dangerous two-footed tackle from behind.

"Not such an impressive martial artist if you can't stay on your feet, are you?"

Ranma jumped to his feet stared the kendoist down. "Big words considering how this morning's fight went."

"I was not defeated, I merely delayed on my path to righteous victory," Kuno replied pompously.

"Really now? Well, it sounds like we need a rematch," the pigtailed martial artist replied with a smirk. "We'll finish it once and for all here, after school finishes. How's that grab you?"

"Yes," the kendoist nodded. "And none of your trickery this time!"

"Trickery? What the Hell are you talking about, Kuno? If you can't jump from a window on the third floor, you can't possibly be considered a martial artist!" Ranma replied angrily. "And in some countries that's only the second floor."

"What? Why would it be called the second floor?" Tatewaki demanded.

"Because it's the second floor above the ground floor, Numb-nuts," the young Saotome teased. "But you'd probably have figured that out. Eventually. I mean, even the stupidest of monkeys learns not to annoy the hornets."

The scion of the House of Kuno gnashed his teeth angrily at the slight from this uncouth individual. "I will see you put in your place, Saotome."

"And where's that?"

"In the cold ground, you cur!" Tatewaki declared.

"Perhaps," Ranma smirked, "we should settle this now?"

As the testosterone fuelled martial artists stared each other down, the teacher rushed up to them. "What's going on here? Why aren't you two playing with the rest of your class?"

"We're arranging a…meeting for after school. We just have something to discuss," Ranma explained.

"I don't care, but it's time for your class to go in and get changed before you all head off to lunch," the whiney, nasal-voiced teacher said as he pointed to the main building.

* * *

Having changed out of his gym clothes, Ranma made his way outside to enjoy the sunshine while he ate his lunch. He was unsure of what to make of the way Nabiki had taken it upon herself to escort him to a prime spot under a tree.

After all, it wasn't normal for girls to smile at and link arms in an overly affectionate way with men that were likely to become their stepfathers was it?

Not that Ranma really knew a lot about that sort of thing, it was more the way that Nabiki's C cup breasts were being pressed up against his bicep that alerted him to something being "not quite right."

"A-are you ok, Nabiki-san? I mean the way you're holding onto my arm makes me think that something's scared you," the pigtailed martial artist asked. He turned his attention away from his upcoming meal and started to scan the area for potential threats.

"I'm fine, Ranma-kun," Nabiki smiled. "I'm just happy to see you. You know, people are asking me all sorts of questions about you."

"W-what kind of questions?"

"The kind that can only be answered by you," the middle Tendo girl replied as they sat down. "You see, people want to know why you're engaged to my mother and not me or one of my sisters."

"That's easy," Ranma said as he opened his bento. "You and your sisters decided to lie to her so she had to take up the engagement."

"Yes," the brunette nodded with her teeth gritted, "but they also want to know what it is about her that made you agree to it."

The young Saotome looked at Nabiki in disbelief. "She's your mom! You should know her better than anyone here!"

"Well, yes. Yes I do know her better than anyone here, but," Nabiki countered with a raised finger, "they all know that I'm going to be biased and they want your opinion on her."

"Oh. Well," Ranma started before shovelling some food into his mouth. "Reiko-san's a great cook, she's really pretty and she's nice. And she seems to know a bit about lots of stuff and I like that."

"I see," the brunette nodded. 'He likes her because she's beautiful, can cook, is a kind and is smart. Damn, if only I could cook like her and Kasumi, then I'd be in with a shout!'

Nabiki somehow managed to conveniently overlook the time she put a frog down the back of Kasumi's shirt so she took it off in front of that boy they both liked and the time she convinced Kuno to buy her lunch all those times for "information" about her baby sister.

Ranma shrugged before finishing off his food. "That was tasty."

"Too bad it will be your final meal, Saotome!" the most arrogant voice in the entire student body declared.

"What is it now, Kubo?" the pigtailed youth asked in a bored tone.

"My name is Kuno, you would do well to remember the name of the one who beats you soundly," the kendoist sneered.

"That would be impressive if it was you, but think about how much face I'd lose if a semi-trained ape like you beat me," Ranma grinned back. "Now go away, your beat down comes later. You know, after school on the field like we agreed earlier? Unless you've decided to back down and apologise to Akane-san…"

"BACK DOWN!?!" Kuno repeated. "How dare you?!"

The pigtailed martial artist stood up and looked at the opponent for his upcoming challenge. "I dare because I can. If you wanna bring this fight forward, then let's head out to get it sorted. If not, then shut your noise-hole."

The kendoist seethed as he decided what to do next, but the sounding of the chimes made up his tiny mind for him.

"I will see you later."

* * *

At the clinic where Reiko Tendo worked, Megumi Tanaka was handing out the hot drinks while they took their mid-afternoon break.

"So about this weekend, do you want us to bring anything?" she asked as she picked up her own coffee mug. "I was thinking of bringing some cake."

"Oooh, I'm liking the sound of that," Reiko nodded. "You always manage to find the most delicious cake, Megumi."

"It's a gift."

The Tendo widow smiled. "If any of you want to bring anything, then you're most welcome to do so, but do remember that my daughters and some of their friends will be there."

"Ok, so no getting drunk and hitting on studly young men. Damn, you really know how to ruin a girl's fun, don't you, Reiko?" Megumi sighed theatrically.

"It's a gift," the Tendo homemaker replied with a smirk.

* * *

To be continued…

Pre-read by Chi Vayne and previewed on Hawk's forum.

I still have difficulty dealing with how popular this trash is. Oh well, I guess that it just proves that there's no accounting for taste.


	8. Chapter 8

Make Room for Daddy

By Lord Raa

* * *

Disclaim-me-do: And that's terrible.

* * *

Chapter 8

* * *

Ranma yawned when the chimes that signalled the end of their free study period and the school day sounded. "Time to deal with that idiot Kuno once and for all."

Standing up, the pigtailed martial artist gathered up his things and made his way to the school field where his opponent was waiting.

When Ranma arrived at the scene of the duel, he noticed that the arrogant kendoist was standing there in what he guessed to be a stoic pose.

"I see that Nerima's new playboy has the decency to turn up. Shall we begin?"

"Really Kuno-chan, you should drop the tragic hero act," Nabiki sighed as she escorted her mother's new fiancé to the appointed area.

"I see that you have been swayed by his dubious charms, Nabiki Tendo. I must work fast to vanquish this menace in order to save your beauteous younger sister," Kuno declared. "Now, prepare to meet your maker, fiend!"

Ranma sighed but fell into a defensive stance. 'Might as well humour him.'

"Have at you!" Tatewaki shouted as he charged at the pigtailed youth.

Side-stepping the charge, Ranma reached out and grabbed the collar of Kuno's outfit, hoisting the delusional fool off the ground. Next the affianced teenager hurled his opponent to the ground three metres away.

"Is that all you have, Kuno? I thought that you were going to make this a challenge. You know, just to break up the monotony of earlier."

Kuno growled like a beast and charged this foul cur once again, hoping to impale the arrogant youth.

Taking a deep breath, the pigtailed youth counterattacked with a snap-kick to the chin, rendering Tatewaki unconscious.

"Pathetic. You're ten years too young to challenge me," Ranma smirked as he flicked his pigtail behind him.

Turning to Nabiki and the recently arrived Akane, he smiled. "I think we're done here. Shall we go?"

"Yes," Nabiki smiled as she took up a position on Ranma's arm.

Akane rolled her eyes at the way her sister insisted on flirting with their mother's fiancé. "Yeah, let's get going."

* * *

As the trio of Furinkan students entered the Tendo home, Kasumi greeted them.

"Hi Kasumi-san," Ranma smiled.

"Hello, Ranma-kun. Would you like something to eat or perhaps a bath first?" the brunette purred.

Ranma found himself under the gaze of all the Tendo sisters. And it was making him uncomfortable. "Err, well, I think that I can wait a bit for dinner, but a bath sounds like a good idea."

"Excellent," Kasumi beamed. "Would you like me to wash your back?"

"…I'll be fine, Kasumi-san. I don't think that your mother would approve."

"Oh, what she doesn't know won't hurt her," the eldest sister winked.

"Too bad she knows already, Kasumi-chan," a voice from the doorway said sternly. "How was your day at school, Ranma-kun?"

"Hi Reiko-san," Ranma smiled pleasantly. "It was ok, though I think that Kuno person might be trouble. He's the one that was making things awkward for Akane."

"I see. Well, what about the rest of you? I trust that you weren't trying to steal my fiancé," Mrs. Tendo warned.

"Oh no, mother," the girls chorused.

At least in Akane's case, it was the honest truth.

"Good. Now where are Mr. and Mrs. Saotome?"

"They said that they needed to go home for a short while," Kasumi explained. "Mrs. Saotome mentioned that she wanted to get reacquainted with Mr. Saotome as he's been neglecting his 'husbandly' duties."

"I see," Reiko nodded in approval.

Ranma, however, was less enthusiastic about the departure of his parents. 'They're the only thing keeping me safe! Though, I think it'll be nice not to worry about him perving on people.'

"Well, since it's been a long day, would you mind if I took a bath?"

"Not at all, mother, but I think that Ranma-kun was going to take one first," Kasumi answered.

"That's perfectly fine, Kasumi-chan," the widow beamed. "We can take one together and save resources!"

Ranma found himself being dragged off by his fiancée before he could protest about it being improper.

"That's just not fair!" Nabiki and her elder sister pouted in unison.

Akane just rolled her eyes and muttered, "When did my family become such perverts?"

* * *

Outside the Tendo bathroom, Reiko faced Ranma and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Now Ranma-kun, you shouldn't allow yourself to get so stressed. It's not good for you," the brunette said sympathetically. "Now why don't you let me wash your back?"

"B-b-b-but we can't do that!" the pigtailed youth protested. "I mean it's not proper!"

"It's not proper for an engaged couple to share an intimate moment? What kind of crazy talk is that, Ranma-kun?" Reiko chided. "Now stop all this foolishness. Unless you don't like me…"

Ranma started to panic when he realised that his fiancée was starting to get a little upset with him and his attitude. "It's not that I don't like you, Reiko-san, it's just that I'm not ready for that sort of thing. It's because I'm still not used to being around people other than Pops for more than a day or two."

The Tendo homemaker realised that it was the training trip that made Ranma the man he was – a skilled martial artist that was unfortunately uncomfortable with intimate contact through a simple lack of experience. It was then that she decided that the correct course of action was to take things slowly with Ranma.

'Unfortunately,' she thought, 'I don't know if my daughters will give us the time.'

"Ok, Ranma-kun. I'll let you have the bath first, but I want you to spend some time with me after dinner."

"Ok," Ranma nodded. "But can you tell me when Mom and Pop will be coming back?"

"Hopefully not until tomorrow," Reiko replied deviously. She coughed when she saw that her fiancé had a questioning look on his face. "Well, I think that you can have the spare room for tonight, Ranma-kun. I'll tell Kasumi and Nabiki not to disturb you."

"Thank you, Reiko-san," the martial artist smiled. "I appreciate it. Nabiki seemed to want to spend a lot of time talking to me earlier."

"I see. Well, don't worry about that," the widow replied, turning to hide the malicious expression on her face.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, a decidedly more refreshed Ranma descended the stairs with a towel around his head.

"Hi, bathroom's free," he called out to the Tendos. When he saw that Kasumi and Nabiki looking slightly apologetic as they sat before their mother. "Is something up?"

"Not at all, Ranma-kun," Reiko said with a smile. "I was just telling Kasumi and Nabiki that you're not to be disturbed tonight. That's all."

"Oh. Ok, well, the bathroom's free if you want to take a bath before dinner."

"Thank you, Ranma-kun, I think that I will. Kasumi, you'll be a darling and take over dinner, won't you?" the widow asked, her much voice sweeter than normal.

"Yes, Mother," the eldest daughter replied. When Reiko left the room, Kasumi let out a sigh.

"Is something wrong, Kasumi-san?" Ranma asked.

"I'm fine, Ranma-kun," she said, trying to put a brave face on.

"Would you like some help with dinner? I'm not doing anything at the moment, and if you're tired, then I don't mind helping you out," the pigtailed youth said, trying to make himself useful.

Kasumi's smile seemed to light up the room. "Yes please, Ranma-kun. I'd like that a lot."

Nabiki frowned at the way her elder sister seemed to have a reason to be around Ranma. 'Still, I suppose that I could get him to train me in self-defence… that would give me an excuse to grapple with him and who's to know if my gi top opening up is on purpose or not…'

"Hey, Ranma-kun, can I ask you something?" the middle daughter spoke up.

"Yeah, sure, Nabiki-san," Ranma smiled.

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind teaching me some self defence. I know some of the basics, but I'd like some proper training on dealing with someone who's bigger and stronger than I am," Nabiki explained. "I don't mean to be mean, but I don't think that Akane's quite good enough to be a teacher yet."

"I know what you mean, Nabiki-san," the raven haired youth nodded in understanding. "Akane-san's skilled, but she's not quite there yet. A couple of years' time and she should be in the position to start teaching beginners. I guess we can start tomorrow. Is after school ok?"

"That'd be great," the short haired brunette smiled enthusiastically.

* * *

Elsewhere in Tokyo a pair of voluptuous redheads were in the Saotome bedroom.

"No-chan, what's gotten into you?!" the younger girl squeaked in protest as she evaded a lunge.

"Nothing. At least not yet," Nodoka smirked as she opened the bedside drawer. "Tell me, Genma, have you experimented with your new body yet?"

"…" Genma-chan gulped nervously. 'I didn't want to do this, but she's leaving me no choice.'

When Nodoka turned around to further question her currently transgendered husband, she frowned when he had seemingly disappeared into thin air.

"Genma? Where are you?" she asked looking up at the ceiling, thinking that it was the only logical place for him to be hiding. The older redhead sighed. "Alright, Genma, I'll try to keep my urges under control. It's just that I've been so lonely and you do look so lovely like that…"

Genma, however, was not convinced and quickly fled the room, intent on finding a safe haven for the night.

* * *

After the evening meal, the Tendos decided to watch some a movie on television. Reiko had made the decision that Ranma would be sitting next to her on his behalf.

Ranma had insisted that he would be fine sitting on his own, but his fiancée was not accepting his arguments.

"Now, now, Ranma-kun," the widow smiled. "What kind of fiancée would I be if I kept my betrothed at arm's length? Sit next to me, I'm not going to bite you, you know."

"If you want, you could sit next to me," Kasumi suggested.

Reiko was not convinced by the innocent tone her eldest daughter had used. She was also unimpressed with the way Nabiki also hinting that Ranma could sit next to her.

"You're putting too much pressure on Ranma-kun," the mother chided. "He's not used to family life."

"I'm sorry," Ranma apologised. "I didn't mean to be awkward."

"Well, it's not your fault, Ranma-kun," Kasumi smiled reassuringly. "I'm sure that things will work themselves out if you give them the chance."

"Yeah, they tend to," the pigtailed youth smiled back. "I'm sorry for not being a great boyfriend, Reiko-san. It's just that I've never really had the chance to find out what fiancé does."

Reiko realised that his was sterling opportunity to get closer to her cute yet reluctant fiancé. "Well, perhaps if you sit right there and let me get closer to you, you'll understand what sort of thing an adult relationship entails."

"Ok." Ranma managed to avoid his first reaction – that of running for the hills and screaming about perverts and their wandering hands.

"See, it's not so bad," Reiko said as she rested her head on Ranma's chest. "In fact, I could get used to this."

Not knowing what else to do, the Saotome heir gingerly placed his right arm around the Tendo widow, his hand resting on her elbow.

"Can you please be quiet, some of us are trying to watch this, you know," Akane said as she turned to see her mother snuggling up to the pigtailed martial artist.

"Sorry," Ranma winced when he saw the angry look on the youngest daughter's face.

Nabiki and Kasumi were rather more subdued as they tried to think of a way to convince their mother that they'd made a terrible mistake.

"As the eldest daughter, surely it's my responsibility," Kasumi mused.

Nabiki's idea was to play up the fact that Ranma and she were in the same class at school. "It's as good a place as any to get to know him."

"Nah," the sisters thought and sighed in unison. "She'll just bring up the fact that we lied to her and tease us."

"Ranma, can we talk in private?" Reiko asked in a sincere tone when an advert break started.

"I guess so, Reiko-san."

"Good, let's talk in my bedroom."

"B-b-but isn't…" Ranma stammered.

"It'll be ok, Ranma-kun, I'm not going strip you naked, to tie you to the bed and ride you like a bucking bronco until the sun comes up, you know."

"…"

The eldest Tendo saw the look on her fiancé's face and smiled. "Unless you want me to, that is…"

"MOTHER!" the Tendo daughters chorused.

"How can you say something so scandalous in front of your daughters?" Kasumi protested.

"We knew that you've been lonely for a long time, but I didn't think that you were hard up enough to turn your home into a den of inequity!" Nabiki chided in outrage.

Akane was also upset, but she was also confused. "Mom, how can you say things like that? I thought that only boys were perverted…"

"Well, in answer to your questions: Akane-chan, perversion takes many forms. Kasumi and Nabiki: all three of us have seen Ranma-kun in all his glory. And you decided that it would be better to lie to me, so tough luck!" Reiko taunted. "Now, Ranma-kun, we need to talk in private."

* * *

In the privacy of her bedroom, Reiko smiled reassuringly at her fiancé.

"W-what did you want to talk to me about, Reiko-san?"

"Well, Ranma-kun, I wanted to know what would make you happy. I mean, I don't know a lot about you, other than I do like you. But that's not enough to base a relationship on. Especially when we're engaged," the brunette explained.

"I see," Ranma nodded. "Well, I… no, it's silly."

"And I thought that you were taking this engagement seriously."

"I am," the teenager insisted. "It's just that…"

"It's just what?" Reiko demanded, her hands placed on her hips.

"It's just that I've never even kissed a girl before I came here. Hell, before Pops and I went to Jusenkyo, I didn't really know what the differences between men and women were," Ranma admitted, his face red with embarrassment. "Like I said, it's silly."

"Not at all, Ranma-kun," the widow smiled reassuringly. "It's all new to you, so it's understandable that you're unsure of what's going on. I know that I was when I was your age."

The smile Ranma gave his fiancée made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. "Thanks, Reiko-san. You know, I'm kinda glad that I'm engaged to you. You know what to expect and what to say to make me feel better."

The brunette blushed at the praise. "Thank you, Ranma-kun."

"So, do you want to finish watching the TV?"

"Well, I suppose that we could do that, but if you've got something else in mind…" Reiko winked suggestively.

"Do you want to do something else?" Ranma asked innocently.

"Well, I suppose that you could tell me about some of your adventures."

* * *

About an hour later, Kasumi and Nabiki turned to each other and made the decision that they needed to see what their mother was doing to Ranma.

As they crept up the stairs as silently as they could, the kept their ears open for sounds of a certain adult activity.

The two sisters weren't sure what to make of the laughter coming from their mother's room, so they moved in closer to get more information on what Reiko was doing to Ranma.

"So you actually managed to trick your father into diving headfirst into a patch of poison ivy?"

"Yeah, if he starts spouting rubbish about anything, just mention that someone in a van with 'The Nakamura Corporation' on the side was asking about a redhead who was promised to the company president's son as a fiancée."

Nabiki decided to knock on the door and interrupt the couple.

"Is everything alright?"

"Everything is just fine, Nabiki-chan," Reiko smiled. "Ranma-kun here was just telling me about some of his experiences from his training trip. They're certainly… interesting and they make you realise just how much effort you need to put in to reach the pinnacle of your field."

"I see," the short haired brunette nodded. She was relieved that her mother hadn't advanced her relationship with Ranma to the point that they were fooling around, but on the other hand, she kind of wanted to catch them in the act so she could ogle the martial artist.

Kasumi had similar thoughts, but decided that it was time for everyone to go to bed.

"You're right, Kasumi-chan," Reiko said as she glanced at her alarm clock. "I'll see you all in the morning. Ranma-kun, will you be ok in the guest room tonight?"

"Yeah, I can sleep almost anywhere," the pigtailed martial artist smiled.

* * *

The next morning Ranma woke up early and stretched. "Hmm, where is Pops? When's he going to be back?"

Not wanting to let his training slip, the pigtailed martial artist decided that he would practice on his own for this morning.

Letting out a yawn as he stretched again, a thought occurred to him.

"Maybe I could train with Akane?"

Ranma dressed quickly and strode to the Tendo heir's room and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Ranma. I was wondering if you want to train with me this morning, seeing as Pops ain't back yet."

There was a pause as Akane mulled things over. "But it's 6 o'clock."

"Yeah, I know it's kinda late, but if we delay it much longer, we won't get a decent work out," Ranma replied.

That made Akane take stock of the situation. While the bed was warm and cosy, she knew that if she wanted to be anywhere as good as Ranma, she would need to put in more effort.

"I'll be out in a bit, ok?"

"Sure thing, Akane. I'll be in the dojo."

* * *

Elsewhere in Tokyo, a young man with large backpack and yellow and black bandana scratched his head as he tried to think where that mysterious redheaded girl was.

"I need to thank her for saving me," the muscular youth thought with a blush. "Ooff!"

"Hey, watch where you're standing!" an irate young woman demanded as she climbed off the youth she had run into.

"Hey, it's you! I've been looking for you since you stopped me from falling into those pools in China. My name's Ryoga Hibiki, what's yours?"

"That's not important right now. Look, I've got to go because I'm really busy right now," the redhead said as she ran off towards the Tendo Dojo.

Ryoga, however, was not going to let this chance slip from his fingers and ran after the petite girl, intent on finding out more about her.

* * *

Ranma was about half way through his warm-up when Akane arrived in the dojo.

"How come you're so full of energy first thing in the morning, Ranma-san?" the girl asked after hiding a yawn.

"I dunno, I guess that it's just something that comes with practice. Let's get you started; you'll feel better when you've gotten warmed up."

A short while later, Ranma felt that he was ready for a serious workout, but had decided that he should take it easy on Akane. It wasn't that he wanted to patronise his training partner; it was just that well, it was obvious that she wasn't ready to start the training he and his father had been through.

"Where shall we start, Ranma-san?"

"A little light sparring, Akane-san."

* * *

Half an hour later, Akane called for a break. "Wow, you're really good."

"I told you I was," Ranma smirked. "So, who have you been practicin' with?"

"I mainly spar against that idiot Kuno," the girl replied. "But he's one of the best in the area, so it's good practice."

"But he's rubbish," the pigtailed youth countered.

Akane rolled her eyes. "He's not spent every waking moment of the last ten years training though, has he?"

"Twelve."

"What?"

"I've been training for the last twelve years," Ranma explained. "Still, I suppose that I shouldn't be so mean. It's not like it's his fault he's an idiot."

"Yeah," Akane smiled. "It's nearly time for breakfast, do you mind if I wash up before you?"

"Go right ahead," the Saotome heir replied. "I want to practice some more. You never know what's around the corner."

* * *

After breakfast there was someone at the front door, though Reiko was a little hesitant to answer the door given the furious pounding it was taking.

"I'll see who it is," Ranma said, moving between his fiancée and the visitor.

"Who is it?" he asked through the door.

"Ranma, let me in now!" Genma-chan hissed.

"What have you done now, Pops?"

"You have to hide me from your mother," the redhead insisted. "You don't know what she's like!"

"Fine, but if you upset anyone, you're gonna be in trouble," Ranma warned sternly.

As the petite girl barged her way in, the pigtailed martial artist noticed that someone had followed her.

"Can I help you?"

"T-that girl, what's her name?" the young man with a large backpack asked, his cheeks colouring.

"…" Ranma stood there unblinking as he processed the situation. He snorted in amusement before shaking his head. "Trust me on this; you don't want to get involved with 'her'."

"What do you mean?" the visiting youth asked, his eyes narrowing.

"What's you name?"

"Ryoga Hibiki, why?"

"Well, Ryoga Hibiki, you might want to sit down for this," Ranma smiled.

"…"

"Fine, don't listen to what I have to say. One more stubborn idiot in Nerima won't make a difference," the pigtailed martial artist replied icily as he closed the door.

"Who was that, Ranma-kun?" Reiko asked, having returned from putting the dishes in the dishwasher.

"Someone called Ryoma Hibiki. I think he's got a crush on Pops' cursed form," Ranma replied with an amused look on his face. "I was going to invite him in to tell him and show him the curse, but he didn't want to know."

"I see."

"Hey, I tried to tell him the truth. If he wants to chat up Pops, then that's between him and Pops."

* * *

To be continued...

This was pre-read by Chi Vayne and had elements posted on Hawk's forum.

That is all for now.


	9. Chapter 9

Make Room for Daddy

By Lord Raa

* * *

Disclaim-me-do: Yeah, I make Unhappy Cat unhappy. What are YOU going to do about it?

* * *

Chapter 9

* * *

During the walk to Furinkan, Ranma talked with Nabiki and Akane about Ryoga and his father.

"Eww," the sisters shuddered.

"I know, but when you first saw his cursed form, you had no idea what Pops looked like in his normal state," the raven-haired youth explained. "I know that if I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't believe it either."

"I suppose so," Akane replied, still visibly unsettled by the thought of Ranma's father and another man.

"Hey, why don't we have a training session when we get home tonight?" Ranma suggested.

"I wouldn't mind getting all sweaty with you tonight, Ranma-kun," Nabiki purred, seemingly ignoring the way her sister shook her head in shame.

"T-that's not what I had in mind, Nabiki-san," the pigtailed youth replied nervously as he felt fingers creep up his arm. He stopped suddenly.

"Don't be so stingy, Ranma-kun," the middle Tendo daughter chided in a good-natured manner.

"It's not that, Nabiki-san," Ranma said.

"No, it's not, Nabiki Tendo," a pompous voice rang out. "It is I, the great Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High!"

An unseasonable bolt of thunder crashed through the sky to punctuate Kuno's entrance.

"And what can I do for you today, Kuno? You want me to kick your ass so you can skip a few lessons? It's not a problem for me, but don't you think that your education is going to suffer?" the pigtailed martial artist asked with a smirk. "I mean, you don't seem too bright and could probably use all the education you can get."

"My scholastic abilities are not your concern, foul playboy," the kendoist sneered. "My martial prowess, however, will be the instrument of your downfall!"

Ranma yawned, but stepped away from the Tendos as a precaution. "And what have you learned overnight that can beat me? You got a real sword?"

"If Musashi could defeat steel-armed samurai with a bokken, then I can defeat the likes of you with one."

"Maybe, but Musashi fought for his life. When was the last time you did that?" the pigtailed martial artist asked as he fell into a fighting stance.

"Wait," Nabiki interrupted. "You've fought in Life-or-Death battles?"

"Once or twice," Ranma replied, not taking his eyes off Kuno. "Trust me; stab wounds don't improve your day."

"I'll bear that in mind," the short haired brunette deadpanned. "So, what are you two going to do now? If I'm late because of you two, I'm not going to be happy."

"Yeah, you're right, Nabiki-san," the Saotome heir nodded. "Kuno, you want to do this later or what?"

"Have at you!"

Ranma dodged several of Kuno's strikes before stepping inside his personal space and grabbing him by the collar.

"That didn't work yesterday, what makes you think that's going to work today?"

"But it enabled me to get to 4th Dan in kendo last year," the kendoist protested.

"Wait, what? Who told you that?" Ranma demanded angrily. "'Cos there ain't no way you're good enough to be 4th Dan!"

"I am 4th Dan; I have the certificate to prove it!" Kuno insisted. "How dare you cast doubts on my ability and integrity?!"

"Be quiet, idiot," the pigtailed martial artist ordered before he turned to Akane. "Akane-san, who told you that you were 4th Dan?"

"Err… no-one," the Tendo heir admitted. "I mean I always beat Kuno here and he's 4th Dan, so that means I must be at least as good as he is."

"If you pair are 4th Dan, then someone's been lying to you," Ranma replied as he threw Kuno to the ground. "Either that or I'm some kind of unbeatable martial arts god. And I know I ain't gotten that good yet."

"This is most disconcerting," Kuno mused. "But I will not yield to the likes of you!" he declared as he jumped up and charged Ranma.

Ranma rolled his eyes when the kendoist ran into his fist and knocked himself out. "Are we done yet?"

"I think so, Ranma-kun," Nabiki smiled sweetly. "Let's get inside; it looks like it's going to rain soon."

"Y-yeah," Akane agreed, not really sure how to deal with Ranma's appraisal of her and Kuno's skills.

* * *

Genma, now in his male body, sat down at the table with a tired sigh.

"Is there any breakfast left?" he asked with an uncharacteristic politeness.

"Yes, I'll get you something, Saotome-san," Kasumi smiled back. When she returned, she asked if anything had happened to him.

"Don't ask," the portly man shuddered.

"It seems that there's this young man that's interested in Saotome-kun," Reiko explained with a teasing expression on her face.

"…" Kasumi blinked before turning pale at the mental image.

"Or rather, his cursed form," the hausfrau clarified. "I take it that he wasn't the type to give up easily?"

"No, he's not," Genma deadpanned. "He kept rambling on about how I saved him from some terrible fate or some nonsense. I've never seen him before in my life."

The two Tendos looked at each other and shrugged while the portly man devoured his food.

"So what are you plans for the day, Kasumi-chan?" Reiko asked.

"I've got work soon, but I should be back early this afternoon," the younger brunette answered.

"Would you mind doing some shopping for me? I'm not going to have time to get everything for the party on Saturday."

Kasumi paused. 'I'd forgotten about that… I need to move fast if I want Ranma-kun…'

"Well, can you help me out?" Reiko asked, her hands on her hips.

"Yes, sorry, I was just distracted. What did you want me to get you?"

"I'll jot a few things down for you."

* * *

The school day progressed much like the previous one had for Ranma and the Tendos. Mr. Fujiyama had cast glances promising much pain at Ranma, which, unsurprisingly, he had remained oblivious to.

The Tendos had been asked more questions about Ranma. Akane's response was a bit guarded, after the way he'd referred to her martial arts ability.

"He's pretty good, I mean, there aren't many that can take Kuno out with a single punch," was all the youngest Tendo would say.

Nabiki's comments were more positive, yet just as measured. "Ranma's a nice guy. He's not as well-mannered as he could be, but you try brushing up on the tea ceremony when you're out in the forest fighting bears for food as part of your training."

Eventually, the chimes signalling the end of the day sounded and the middle Tendo daughter approached Ranma.

"So, are you ready to start our lessons, Ranma-kun?"

"Lessons? Oh yeah, you wanted me to teach you some self-defence tricks. What did you want to learn first?" the pigtailed youth asked after putting away his things. "Punching holes in concrete blocks? Speed training with venomous snakes? How to deal with armed opponents? Maybe you want some training with weapons?"

Those that had yet to leave the classroom paused when they heard Ranma's suggestions for the lesson plan.

Nabiki blinked in shock. "Just what do you think I'm after, Ranma?"

"I thought that you wanted to get to Akane's level…" he replied.

"I said I wanted to learn self-defence, not take part in international fighting tournaments!" the middle Tendo chided.

"Oh. Well, how about dealing with muggers or perverts on the train?" Ranma asked, feeling a bit silly about his assumptions.

"That's more like it," Nabiki smiled. "Perhaps you could pretend to be the pervert?"

* * *

Kasumi managed to get all the ingredients on the shopping list though the trip had taken longer than planned. She was on her way home when she saw her sisters and Ranma.

She remembered her father's words of, "Regret is a terrible thing in one so young" and resolved to correct her earlier mistake.

"Father would be saddened if I was to give up on Ranma-kun, especially so soon. I must work harder to impress him," the brunette declared, a fire burning behind her normally calm brown eyes. She waved at her sisters and Ranma. "Hello Ranma-kun, Nabiki-chan, Akane-chan."

"Hello Kasumi-san," the pigtailed martial artist smiled.

"Hello, Nee-chan," Akane replied.

"Kasumi," Nabiki nodded in acknowledgement, while keeping an eye on her elder sister. 'She's planning something. But what?'

"So, how was your day, Ranma-kun?" Kasumi asked as she took up position on Ranma's left side.

"It was ok. Do you need any help with the shopping?" the pigtailed martial artist asked when he noticed the bags that the long haired brunette was carrying.

"Oh, if it's not too much trouble," she replied coyly.

"Not at all," Ranma smiled back as he loaded himself up with shopping bags.

* * *

Reiko had finally managed to get some details from Genma with regards to the young man that had visited just before her youngest daughters took Ranma to school.

"So, you managed to accidentally seduce a lonely young man by helping him out?"

"Yes," the balding man replied grumpily. "I thought that I was helping out a fellow traveller, not gaining a stalker."

Reiko's amusement at Genma's obvious discomfort at the situation was masked by the arrival of her daughters and fiancé.

"We're back," Nabiki called out. As she removed her shoes, she made sure that Ranma had the chance to check out her ass. After turning around to get a look, she felt a surge of pride that Ranma had indeed caught a glimpse of her toned backside.

'He likes what he sees,' the middle daughter thought. 'But how best to foster that interest so the engagement is changed to me?'

Kasumi and Akane were unhappy that their sister was blocking the way into the house.

"Come on, Nabiki, stop blocking traffic," the youngest daughter complained.

"Please, Nabiki, we do have perishables to put into the fridge," Kasumi added with an impatient tone.

"What? Oh, sorry," Nabiki giggled innocently. 'Damn, I always hated airheads and the way they act so why did I have to laugh like that?'

Luckily for the cynical sister, Ranma didn't seem to be falling in love with her ditzy behaviour.

* * *

Dinner in the Tendo household was beginning to fall into a familiar pattern. Reiko would ask Ranma about his day; Akane would make polite conversation while Nabiki and Kasumi would make subtle passes at the pigtailed martial artist.

Deciding that her daughters still needed to be taught a lesson, Reiko asked her fiancé a question. "So, Ranma-kun, what are you planning on wearing to our engagement party at the weekend?"

Ranma scratched his head. "Err… I guess I'll wear what I normally do, if that's ok."

"No, Ranma-kun," the widow replied. "No offence, but I think that we can dress you up a bit. We're going to go shopping tomorrow."

"We are?" the martial artist asked in confusion. "If you really want to, then sure, we can go shopping."

"Why don't we all take a trip together?" Reiko's smile was one that had her eldest daughters feel a little worried. "I'm sure that my daughters will have a better idea of fashion for the youth of today than I do."

"Ok, we can meet up after school," Nabiki replied. 'I don't know what Mom's planning, but I might as well get some new clothes out of it.'

'Maybe I can use this as a chance to get Ranma-kun's attention?' Kasumi thought as she chewed her rice. 'Perhaps I should bring some orchids with me? Just to see if what happened at work was a fluke or not…'

* * *

Later that evening, the male Saotomes were enjoying a soak in the bath. Ranma was wondering what had happened between his parents, but his father had maintained that it was better that he didn't know.

After letting out a sigh, Genma turned to his son. "So then, Ranma, how are things with Reiko-san?"

"It's going ok, Reiko-san wants to take me shopping for some new clothes," the pigtailed martial artist replied. "She said that she wants me to look nice for the party at the weekend."

"I see," the balding man nodded. "Get some rest because we'll be stepping up your training in the morning."

"What's the plan?" Ranma asked as his father stepped out of the bathtub.

"Weapons drills," Genma answered.

* * *

Outside the bathroom, Nabiki smiled as she slid open the door a fraction of an inch to gain a sneak peek at her mother's fiancé.

What she got was indeed an eyeful of naked man-flesh.

Unfortunately, it was naked Genma-flesh and the middle Tendo daughter let out a blood-curdling scream.

* * *

Genma turned to his son. "What was that?"

"I don't know, but I think it sounded like Nabiki…" Ranma replied as he barged past his sensei to open the door, oblivious to his state of undress.

When opened he stepped out onto the hallway, the pigtailed youth was surprised to see Nabiki curled up into a ball in Akane's arms. The short-haired sister was mumbling something about how her eyes were burning.

"Is she alright, Akane-san?" Ranma asked.

"I…" Reiko's youngest daughter blinked as she looked up to see Ranma standing there, wearing only a concerned look on his face. "I…"

As Nabiki slipped out of her sister's comforting embrace, the movement of her head helped her to shake off the mental trauma of seeing the older Saotome male as naked as the day he was born. Turning around, the short-haired Tendo cast a pained look at her mother's fiancé.

"Are you alright, Nabiki-san?" Ranma repeated, crouching down to get a better look at her face.

"I… I think I've learned my lesson," Nabiki said in a quiet voice. "I'll be fine, Ranma-kun, but could you carry me to my room?"

He frowned, but the pigtailed martial artist found himself agreeing to the request and gently carried the girl into her room. When he returned he asked Akane if she was alright.

"I…" the Tendo heir replied, not having moved from her spot in the hallway. When Ranma clicked his fingers in front of her face, she stirred. "Sorry about that, Ranma-san, I just had this weird dream. It was like you had some sort of snake coming out of your… Oh my."

Ranma's lightning fast reactions stopped the fainting girl from hitting her head.

"I guess you need some help too," he said as he scooped Akane up in his arms and swiftly carried her into her room.

* * *

"Akane, are you all right?"

"Wha?"

"Are you alright, Akane?" Reiko Tendo asked her youngest daughter. "Ranma told me that you fainted earlier."

"I think so," Akane replied. "I had this weird dream though."

"What was it about?" Mrs. Tendo asked as she sat next to her daughter.

"Nabiki and I were face to face with a snake…"

"I see," Reiko smiled knowingly. "I wouldn't worry about that, Akane. You just get some rest and I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Ok, Mom," Akane smiled back at her mother.

* * *

In Nabiki's room, Reiko stood at the door with her arms folded across her chest. "So, Nabiki, do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"Whatever do you mean, Mom?"

"Well, for some reason, Akane had a dream that the pair of you were 'face to face with a snake'. And given that Ranma-kun and his father were in the bath, I have this strange feeling that something happened. So spill it," the widow instructed.

"…" Nabiki froze up as she tried to come up with a plausible explanation. 'Crap… I know, Genma!' "We were walking down the hallway when Mr. Saotome... He, he flashed us! He's such a pervert!"

'That's not what Ranma-kun said…' Reiko nearly fell for her daughter's theatrics. "I'm sorry that happened, Nabiki. If the Saotomes are that perverted, then I'll throw them out right now."

"Y-you will?"

"Yes," Reiko nodded. "Don't worry, both of them will be gone."

"Wait, both of them?" the middle daughter asked. "You're throwing Ranma-kun out, too?"

The affianced Tendo nodded again. "They say the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, so who knows what would happen when Ranma starts acting like his father. Now I understand why you and your sisters were reluctant to agree to the engagement with Ranma-kun…"

Nabiki panicked. "But…"

"But what? The wellbeing of my daughters is my number one priority," Reiko explained. "I won't have anyone endangering you, even if they are young, handsome and trained in the French Flipper Trick…"

The teenager whimpered.

"Or did it happen slightly differently? You know, possibly something like how Ranma-kun described it to me: He was getting out of the bath with his father, heard a scream and rushed out to see what the problem was?"

"Yes, that's what happened," Nabiki admitted. "I screamed because I saw Mr. Saotome naked."

Reiko felt sympathetic when she saw her daughter shudder. "Why were you looking into the bathroom? Were you trying to peep on my fiancé? Because if you were, you deserve all you get. I've told you and Kasumi about that before, so you'll get no sympathy from me."

"But…"

"But nothing – the only reason why I don't ground you so you miss the shopping trip tomorrow is because of what you saw," Reiko said sternly. "Good night, Nabiki, I'll leave you to think about what you did today and why it was wrong."

* * *

To be continued…

Pre-read by Chi Vayne. May or may not have been previewed on a forum somewhere on the intertubes.


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